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EVENING  WORK 

FOR 

Amateur  Photographers. 


EY 

T.   C.   HEPWORTH,  F.C.S., 

LECTURER  AT  THE  LATE  ROYAL  POLYTECHNIC  AND  THE  BIRKBECK  INSTITUTIONS; 
AUTHOR  OF  il  PHOTOGRAPHY  FOR  AMATEURS,"  "  THE  BOOK 
OF  THE  LANTERN,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


SUustrateD  witb  Camera  an&  pencil  b£  tbe  2lutbcr* 


HAZELL,   WATSON,    AND   VINEY,  Ld., 
i,  CREED  LANE,   LUDGATE  HILL. 
1890. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Introductory — The  Scope  of  the  Book  I 
CHAPTER  II. 

The  Use  of  the  Glazier's  Diamond  6 

CHAPTER  III. 

Describing  Apparatus  for  Lantern-slide  Negatives  .  17 
CHAPTER  IY. 

ISOCHROMATIC  PLATES — AMATEUR  LECTURING  23 

CHAPTER  V. 

About  Lantern  Entertainments      ....  .34 
CHAPTER  VI. 

The  Stained  Albumen  Process  for  Lantern- slides     .  45 
CHAPTER  VII. 

Lantern-slides  by  Reduction— Water  Lenses,  etc.     .  54 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
Lantern-slides  on  Gelatine  Plates.  69 


iv 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
Clouds  in  Lantern  Pictures 

CHAPTER  X. 
Practical  Frame-making 

CHAPTER  XI. 
On  Fashion  in  Frames  .... 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Frame-making  and  Gilding  . 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
On  Making  Enlargements  . 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Photography  by  Magnesium  Light  . 

CHAPTER  XV. 
About  the  Electric  Light  . 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Light  by  Incandescence 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

HOW  TO  MAKE  A  CHEAP  ELECTRIC  BATTERY 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Electric  Light  in  the  Optical  Lantekn 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Same  Subject  Continued 


CHAPTER  I. 


INTRODUCTION. 

11  See,  winter  eomes  to  rule  the  varied  year" 

0  says  the  poet  of  the  seasons,  but  winter  is  a 
variation  of  the  year,  in  this  country  at 
least,  which  is,  perhaps,  only  appreciated  by 
poets,  or  by  those  hardy  individuals  who 
rejoice  in  a  keen,  cutting  blast.  As  to 
these  hardened  ones,  they  drive,  walk,  skate,  or  engage 
in  other  oiitdoor  exercises,  and  are  able  to  look  forward 
to  the  coming  of  the  cold  weather  with  the  enjoyment 
which  most  people  feel  upon  the  approach  of  spring. 
The  poets  must  be  put  in  another  category  altogether,  for 
they  always  see  things  couleur  de  rose.  But  the  idea  of 
colour  connected  with  winter  seems  to  be  a  misnomer,  for 
everything  is  about  as  colourless  as  it  can  be.  They  sing, 
as  only  poets  can  sing,  of  the  hoar-frost ;  the  freshly  drifted 
snow,  which,  because  of  its  unsullied  whiteness,  is  in  their 
hands  the  type  of  everything  pure  ;  the  hanging  icicle ;  and 
they  find  beauty  in  things  which  to  unsympathetic  minds 
are  suggestive  only  of  damp  boots  and  cold  feet.  But 
"rheumatism"  and  "catarrh"  are  awkward  words  for 


2 


EVENING  W011K  FOR 


poets  to  deal  with,  for  they  do  not  suggest  poetical  ideas, 
and  what  is  more,  they  do  not  readily  rhyme  with  anything 
in  particular.  It  must  be  a  hard  thing  for  a  poet  to  catch 
one  of  these  disorders,  and  to  feel  that  he  has  sunk  down  to 
the  level  of  ordinary  humanity,  and  must  don  a  mustard 
plaister. 

To  photographers  the  coming  of  winter  is  indeed  a  melan- 
choly time,  for  they  love  the  sun,  and  the  sun  is  seldom  to 
be  seen  in  our  dull,  damp  English  winter  time.  We  must 
indeed  envy  our  Canadian  cousins,  who  know  not  of  our 
troubles,  unless,  indeed,  they  are  so  ill-advised  as  to  spend  a 
winter  in  England.  They  are  used  to  a  sharp,  cold  atmo- 
sphere, with  the  thermometer  lingering  below  zero  in  a  way 
it  never  does  here.  But  the  air  is  dry,  and  they  do  not  feel 
it ;  moreover,  their  houses  are  built  in  such  a  way  that  the 
cold  air  cannot  get  in,  and  the  warm  air  is  not  wasted  up 
the  chimneys.  So  the  poet's  line,  "  AH  things  that  love  the 
sun  are  out  of  doors,"  will  hold  good  all  the  year  round  in 
Canada ;  but  here  in  England  the  lovers  of  sunlight  must 
stop  indoors  or  pay  for  their  temerity,  excepting  always 
those  cast-iron  individuals  already  referred  to. 

Although  the  amateur  photographer  is  debarred  from 
pursuing  with  the  camera  his  ordinary  course  of  work, 
there  are  certain  opportunities  for  taking  pictures  which 
are  only  afforded  during  the  winter  time.  I,  of  course,  refer 
to  hoar-frost  and  snow  studies.  But  these  can  be  under- 
taken only  by  the  robust,  and  by  those  who  have  leisure 
and  the  means  of  watching  their  opportunity.  For  instance, 
the  trees  may  be  discovered  some  morning  covered  with 
nature's  diamonds — in  the  shape  of  hoar-frost — but  in  a 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


3 


short  time  the  beauty  of  the  scene  has  entirely  disappeared. 
It  is  the  same  with  snow  \  it  only  looks  its  best  for  a  limited 
time,  and  it  is  hardly  worth  taking  a  picture  of  it,  unless 
the  sun  has  begun  to  shine  on  its  whiteness,  and  to  make 
those  pearly  shadows  which  are  so  beautifully  rendered  by 
photography.  So  that  the  camera  owner  must  be  upon  the 
alert  if  he  wants  to  produce  a  picture  under  the  best  con- 
ditions. If  he  lose  the  chance,  another  opportunity  may  not 
present  itself  until  next  season. 

But  after  all,  such  employment  for  the  camera  as  that 
described  is  but  fitful  and  uncertain,  and  can  hardly  be  re- 
garded as  important.  The  modern  amateur  does  not  like  to 
give  up  his  hobby  entirely  for  several  months,  and  he  will 
seize  hold  of  such  opportunities  of  practice  with  avidity, 
even  though  he  suffer  the  penalty  of  developing  his  plates 
under  still  colder  conditions.  Luckily,  there  are  other  branches 
of  his  beloved  art  besides  outdoor  work,  which  can  be  prac- 
tised by  the  modern  amateur ;  the  outcome  of  various  pro- 
cesses which  would  have  been  deemed  impossible  twenty 
years  ago.  At  that  time,  it  will  be  remembered,  the  old 
wet  plate  held  the  position  which  is  now  occupied  by  the 
gelatine  process,  and  the  wet  plate  did  not  allow  of  much 
modification.  It  had  to  be  prepared  by  the  photographer 
himself  at  the  moment  of  using,  for  it  would  not  last.  Many 
endeavours  were  made  to  keep  the  film  moist  by  means  of 
glycerine,  etc.,  so  that  the  plate  might  remain  long  enough 
in  the  camera  to  take  a  dark  interior  without  suffering 
deterioration.  If  the  film  dried  during  exposure  it  was 
spoilt,  for  the  chemicals  crystallised  upon  its  surface,  and 
rendered  it  useless.    For  this  reason,  coupled  with  the  all- 


4 


EVENING  WORK  FOll 


important  endeavour  to  do  away  with  the  dark-room  o-i 
tent,  and  its  contained  bottles,  experiments  with  dry  pro- 
cesses came  to  be  made,  until  they  culminated  in  the  gelatino- 
bromide  process  of  to-day. 

Winter  is  essentially  the  time  for  gelatine  plate  making 
by  amateurs,  for  it  is,  owing  to  the  putrefactive  changes 
quickly  set  up  in  gelatinous  solutions  in  hot  weather,  a  most 
risky  proceeding  in  summer  time.  The  professional  plate- 
makers  are  working  all  the  year  round,  but  they  do  so  by 
the  aid  of  special  appliances  which  the  amateur  cannot  com- 
mand, and  I  believe  that  I  am  right  in  saying  that  risky 
operations  are  carried  on  in  summer  time,  only  in  the  early 
hours  before  the  sun  has  asserted  his  power  in  too  demon- 
strative a  fashion.  The  amateur  who  wishes  to  excel,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  be  thorough  in  his  work  should  know 
how  to  make  a  good  dry-plate.  The  details  of  working 
can  be  obtained  from  half-a-dozen  good  text-books,  and 
therefore  it  is  not  my  purpose  to  go  over  the  old  ground 
again.  Moreover,  I  am  convinced  that  only  a  small  minority 
of  workers  will  care  to  take  the  trouble  to  manufacture 
their  own  plates.  They  can  buy  them  of  the  best  quality, 
they  say,  and  this  is  so  true,  and  it  forms  such  a  good 
excuse,  that  no  one  can  gainsay  it.  So  that,  although 
I  regard  plate-making  with  some  affection,  and  look  upon 
it  as  being  educationally  important  to  the  modern  amateur 
photographer,  I  shall  not  include  it  in  my  list  of  occupa- 
tions to  which  in  these  chapters  I  wish  to  direct  his 
attention.  But  there  will  be  enough  without  it.  Even  in 
the  expansion  of  the  gelatine  process  itself,  we  at  once  find 
a  wide  field  for  active  work,  and  work  which  is  quite  inde- 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS 


5 


pendent  of  day-light.  First,  we  have  various  methods  of 
printing  on  papers  which  require  only  a  brief  exposure  to 
gas  or  lamp  light,  the  image  being  brought  out  by  develop- 
ment. Some  of  these  papers  are  capable  of  the  very  finest 
results,  and  there  is  no  reason  for  doubting  the  permanence 
of  those  results.  Next  we  have  another  adaptation  of  the 
gelatine  process  in  bromide  enlarging  paper,  which  gives  such 
excellent  pictures.  The  best  way  of  dealing  with  this  new 
and  valuable  addition  to  a  photographer's  tools  will  be  fully 
dealt  with,  and  the  apparatus  which  has  been  designed  by 
various  workers  for  its  use  will  be  considered.  Lantern- 
slide  making  by  various  processes  will  naturally  come  under 
the  heading  chosen  for  these  chapters,  and  some  new 
methods  of  producing  this  valuable  form  of  photographic 
picture  will  be  fully  detailed.  Other  processes  which 
are  passible  to  the  amateur  will  not  be  omitted,  and  there 
are  various  subjects  of  great  importance  which  will  be  dealt 
with  in  the  succeeding  pages.  In  an  introductory  chapter  it 
is  not  always  as  well  to  say  too  much  about  what  is  to 
fallow,  for  readers  are  naturally  disappointed  when  they 
find  that  an  author  is  not  able  to  make  good  his  promises. 


CHAPTER  II. 


OJST  THE  USE  OF  THE  GLAZIER'S  DIAMOND. 

LASS  has  now  for  many  years  been  the 
support  of  the  photographic  film.  It  came 
into  use  for  this  purpose  with  the  wet 
collodion  negative,  which  obviously  must  be 
supported  upon  a  material  which  is  trans- 
parent, or  it  cannot  yield  a  positive  print.  Curiously 
enough,  the  flexible  transparent  material  which  is  only 
now  coming  into  use  under  the  name  of  Celluloid  was 
proposed  for  this  same  purpose  long  before  the  wet  collodion 
process  was  thrust  into  the  background  by  gelatine.  But 
there  was  a  very  good  reason  why  it  could  not  then  be 
adapted  to  the  wants  of  the  photographer,  in  that  the 
solvents  which  were  contained  in  the  collodion  itself  acted 
upon  the  celluloid  and  immediately  softened  it.  Any  one 
who  will  take  the  trouble  to  try  the  effect  of  pouring  a 
little  collodion  upon  a  piece  of  waste  celluloid  will  soon  see 
why  it  was  that  the  proposition  to  employ  those  materials 
in  conjunction  was  impossible  of  realisation.  Now,  how- 
ever,  that  gelatine   is  employed,  which  is  insoluble  in 


EVENING  WORK. 


7 


either  ether  or  alcohol,  and  has  thus  no  effect  upon  cellu- 
loid, the  light  and  transparent  substance  can  be  spread 
with  the  emulsion  with  great  advantage.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  glass  will  not  and  cannot  be  immediately 
displaced.  Even  were  the  supply  of  celluloid  equal  to  the 
demand,  the  plate  makers  could  not  at  once  alter  their 
machinery  so  as  to  meet  the  conditions  under  which  this 
new  medium  must  be  coated  with  its  sensitive  film.  Again, 
the  professional  photographers  will  not  readily  take  up  films 
for  studio  work,  where  the  weight  of  glass  plates,  as  opposed 
to  celluloid,  is  a  matter  of  indifference.  For  them  glass 
plates  are,  for  many  reasons,  more  convenient  than  flexible 
films ;  and  besides,  there  is  the  argument  so  potent  with 
large  users  of  plates,  that  they  are  much  cheaper  than  films. 
This  last  consideration  will  also  weigh  greatly  with  the 
majority  of  amateur  workers,  so  that  we  may  feel  certain 
that  for  a  long  time  glass  will  hold  its  own. 

It  is  an  astonishing  thing  that  so  few  amateurs  take  the 
trouble  to  inquire  into  the  nature  of  substances  which  they 
are  constantly  using.  One  would  think  that  glass  should 
be  in  their  hands  a  familiar  thing,  which  they  could  cut 
and  fashion  to  their  needs  in  every  way.  But  it  is  not  so. 
There  are  many  amateurs  who  do  not  possess  a  diamond, 
and  if  they  did,  would  not  know  how  to  use  it.  They  cer- 
tainly place  themselves  under  a  great  disadvantage  in 
remaining  ignorant  of  such  an  elementary  thing  as  glass- 
cutting,  because  it  is  an  operati  n  that  the  amateur  is  con- 
stantly requiring.  A  negative  may  want  trimming  down 
to  a  smaller  size,  or  waste  glass  may  require  cutting  up  into 
lantern  slide  cover  glasses,  etc.    Certainly  there  are  hosts 


8 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


of  purposes  for  which  a  diamond  is  often  wanted,  and  unlesa 
the  amateur  can  do  the  work  himself,  he  must  lose  time  by 
going  to  the  nearest  glazier's  to  do  it  for  him.  The  alterna- 
tive generally  is  to  use  one  of  those  ingenious  steel  roller 
glazing  tools,  which  can  be  bought  for  a  shilling  or  less. 
These  are  useful  enough  when  the  glass  is  so  thick  that  it 
will  bear  a  good  deal  of  pressure  without  breaking  ;  indeed, 
for  thick  glass  I  prefer  it  to  the  diamond,  but  for  thin  glass, 
such  as  photographers  mostly  have  to  deal  with,  it  is  a 


Fig.  1. 


delusion  and  a  snare.  The  diamond  gives  a  much  more 
delicate  and  cleaner  cut,  does  not  require  any  great  pressure, 
and  will,  under  certain  conditions,  to  be  presently  stated, 
cut  through  the  film  side  of  a  gelatine  plate.  A  short 
description  of  the  glazier's  diamond  will  not  be  out  of 
place. 

The  implement  consists  of  a  light  wooden  holder,  shaped 
as  shown  at  D  in  fig.  1,  and  measuring  from  top  to  base 
about  seven  inches.  At  its  lower  part  is  a  metal  block, 
which  is  so  swivelled  in  the  wooden  handle  that  it  will 
readily  follow  a  defined  course  when  moved  against  a 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


9 


straight  edge  or  ruler.  This  metal  block  contains  the  atom 
of  diamond,  or  "  spark,"  as  it  is  called.  The  diamond  spark 
is  cemented  into  a  tiny  brass  cell,  which  is  held  by  a  screw 
in  the  metal  block.  It  is  shown  enlarged  at  and  F  (fig. 
1).  The  natural  diamond,  which  is  only  a  crystallised  form 
of  carbon,  takes  the  form  of  a  regular  octahedron  A  (fig.  1) ; 
but  the  glazier's  diamond  is  not  necessarily  of  this  perfect 
form.  It  is  essential,  however,  that  its  cutting  edge  should 
be  natural,  and  the  result  of  cleavage.  The  sides  which 
slope  from  this  downward  point  are  more  or  less  convex, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  this  wedge  form  tends  to 
separate  the  glass  as  it  is  cut.  Indeed,  it  is  not  unusual  for 
the  two  halves  of  a  piece  of  glass  to  drop  apart  of  themselves 
before  any  breaking  strain  is  applied  by  the  hands.  But 
it  is  generally  necessary  to  complete  the  work  begun 
by  the  diamond  by  snapping  the  glass  between  the  fingers, 
or  by  applying  pressure  to  one  half,  while  at  the  other  side 
of  the  cut  the  glass  rests  upon  a  flat  surface. 0 

The  beginner  will  not  find  it  easy  at  first  to  use  the 
diamond,  and  he  will  notice  that  it  slips  over  the  glass 
without  even  scratching  it,  despite  his  endeavours  to  make 
it  cut.  The  work  requires  constant  practice,  and  with  one 
particular  tool — for  each  diamond  has  its  angle  at  which 
it  must  be  held,  and  it  will  not  cut  at  all  unless  it  is 
applied  to  the  glass  at  that  angle.  The  best  way,  perhaps, 
to  learn  how  to  handle  the  implement  is  to  practice  on  a  piece 
of  wa  te  glass  which  should  afford  a  run  for  the  diamond 
of  quite  twelve  inches.  Holding  a  flat  ruler  or  T-square 
in  the  left  hand,  about  half  an  inch  from  the  edge  of  the 
glass,  commence  by  making  a  light  stroke  from  the  farthest 


10 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


point  towards  the  body,  holding  the  diamond  almost 
upright.  There  will  probably  be  no  cut.  Now  repeat  the 
operation,  only  slope  the  diamond  towards  the  body,  so  that 
it  is  slightly  out  of  the  vertical.  Slope  it  more  and  more 
every  time,  until  you  feel  that  it  bites  the  glass.  When  it 
does  this,  more  than  half  the  difficulty  has  been  surmounted, 
and  you  will  soon  be  able  to  make  an  effective  cut.  But  even 
when  this  correct  angle  is  achieved,  it  will  require  practice 
not  to  deviate  from  it  during  the  continuance  of  a  long  cut, 


c 


Fig.  2. 

for  there  is  always  a  tendency  to  raise  the  implement 
towards  the  vertical  as  it  is  approached  towards  the  body. 

In  photography,  glass  is  used  in  certain  standard  sizes, 
and  the  cut  required  has  generally  to  be  made  at  a  right 
angle.  A  simple  form  of  cutting  block,  like  that  shown  at 
fig.  2,  will  be  found  of  great  use.  It  should  be  made  of 
stout  wood,  so  that  it  will  not  warp,  and  the  ledge  shown 
at  the  left-hand  side  should  be  screwed  to  it  in  a  direction 
across  its  grain.  I  need  hardly  say  that  this  cutting  board 
must  be  perfectly  squared,  or  the  glass  cut  upon  it  will  be 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


11 


askew.  Associated  with  it  are  certain  flat  forms  or  rulers, 
of  various  sizes,  and  with  a  hole  through  the  end  of  each,  so 
that  it  can  be  hung  upon  the  wall  on  a  nail  when  not  in 
use.  One  of  these  forms  is  shown  at  the  side  of  the  cutting 
block.  It  is  plainly  marked  3|,  for  its  purpose  is  to  act  as 
a  guide  for  cutting  out  lantern  plates,  which  measure 
3|  by  3|  inches.  Supposing,  therefore,  that  we  had  a  piece 
of  glass  measuring  6^  inches  square,  we  could,  by  means  of 
this  gauge,  separate  it  into  four  lantern-slide  glasses  by 
two  cuts  with  the  diamond.  But  let  it  be  noted  that  the 
form  or  ruler  must  be  somewhat  short  of  the  measure 
marked  upon  it,  so  that  the  space  between  the  point  of  the 
diamond  spark  and  the  side  of  the  metal  block  in  which 
it  is  set  may  be  allowed  for.  Otherwise  we  should  find 
that  every  piece  of  glass  cut  was  about  one-sixteenth  of  an 
inch  larger  than  it  was  required  to  be.  I  say  one-sixteenth, 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  diamonds  vary  in  this  respect. 

Mr.  Cowan  has  devised  two  very  perfect  forms  of  cutting 
boards,  which  he  has  patented,  and  which  are  made  by 
Messrs.  Marion  and  Co.  The  first  is  designed  to  instan- 
taneously centre  a  piece  of  glass  by  means  of  a  clamping 
frame,  after  which  a  hinged  straight-edge  is  brought  down 
upon  it,  the  edge  marking  the  exact  centre  of  the  glass. 
The  convenience  of  the  arrangement  will  be  appreciated 
when  it  is  remembered  that  in  many  cases  the  larger  sizes 
of  photographic  plates  form,  when  divided  into  two  or  four, 
the  smaller  sizes.  There  is  an  unfortunate  exception  in 
the  case  of  the  half-plate,  for  it  is  more  than  half  a  whole- 
plate.  But  a  whole-plate  will  cut  into  four  quarter  plates, 
and  a  10  by  8  into  four  5  by  4.    Mr,  Cowan's  contrivance 


12 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


is,  therefore,  a  valuable  one,  and  more  especially  because  it 
can  be  used  in  the  dimmest  of  red  lights,  for  the  plates 
submitted  to  it  centre  themselves  automatically.  It  is 
shown  at  fig.  3.  It  measures  about  22  by  17  inches,  and 
consists  of  a  strong  board,  upon  which  is  placed  a  movable 
frame,  of  which  b  b  are  the  two  upright  sides.  This  frame 
is  loosely  rivetted  at  each  corner  by  a  screw,  but  is  only 


Fig.  3. 

attached  to  the  base-board  by  the  two  central  pins  on  its 
top  and  bottom  pieces,  upon  which  pins  these  pieces  are 
free  to  turn.  It  is  evident  that  if  these  top  and  bottom 
pieces  be  turned  on  the  screws,  they  must  come  oblique  to 
the  board,  and  at  the  same  time  the  uprights  b  b  will,  while 
remaining  strictly  parallel  to  one  another,  be  brought 
nearer  together.  This  to  and  fro  movement  of  the  uprights 
b  b  allows  a  glass  plaf  e  of  any  size,  within  the  limits  of  f  he 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


13 


frame,  to  be  clamped  between  them.  The  centre  of  the 
glass  plate  must,  however,  always  lie  in  an  imaginary  line 
between  the  screws  a  a.  At  this  part,  i  herefore,  a  hinged 
board  has  its  termination,  and  is  bounded  here  by  a  bevelled 
straight  edge,  along  which  the  diamond  is  guided,  cutting 
the  plate  exactly  in  half.  Two  screws  on  the  left-hand 
side  of  the  board  d  d,  having  brass  washers  beneath  their 


< 

s 

( 
t 

D 

cL 

D 

001  \ 

I 

s 

% 

M 

'  i 

1  1 

1  . 

-t 

[io'  lq1  IP  [7'  IP  Ti 1  UTTj 

assi — -i 

Fig.  4. 


heads,  are  placed  in  elliptical  holes,  so  as  to  allow  the  hinged 

board  to  be  adjusted  to  suit   different  diamonds.  The 

necessity  for  this  adjustment  has  already  been  indicated. 

Mr.  Cowan's  other  cutting  board  is  more  elaborate,  but 

will  cut  plates  readily  to  all  the  standard  sizes,  and  by 

slight  adjustment  will  form  a  cutting  gauge  for  any  odd 

size  which  may  be  required.    It  is  shown  at  fig.  4.  In 

this  case  we  also  have  a  base  board,  with  another  one  which 

2 


14 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


can  be  raised  or  lowered  upon  it  by  means  of  hinges.  The 
outer  edge  of  this  latter  is  described  by  the  vertical  and 
horizontal  dotted  lines,  and  it  will  be  understood  that  its 
right-hand   side  forms  a  bevelled  straight  edge  for  the 
diamond,  as  in  the  former  example.    This  cutting  edge  can, 
too,  be  adjusted  once  for  all  to  suit  the  width  of  the  block  in 
which  the  diamond  is  mounted  by  means  of  the  screws  on  the 
left-hand  side  shown  at  d  d.    Lifting  up  the  hinged  board, 
we  find  four  gauges  in  a  vertical  position,  but  which  in  use 
are  bent  down  to  the  horizontal,  as  indicated  by  the  curved 
dotted  lines.    By  their  aid  we  can  cut  quarter  plates,  half 
plates,  or  whole  plates  at  will.    At  the  lower  part  of  the 
board  there  is  an  inch  scale,  and  just  above  it  is  a  slot,  in 
which  works  a  movable  block  having  a  set  screw  f.    It  is 
by  means  of  this  block  that  a  gauge  to ,  any  size  can  be 
readily  procured.    But  the  principal  use  of  the  instrument 
is  seen  in  the  employment  of  the  standard  gauges,  and  in 
the  dim  light  of  the  "  dark "  room  such  a  contrivance 
becomes  a  necessity.    In  the  case  of  cutting  through  a  dry 
plate  it  may  be  cut  from  either  side,  but  it  is  best  to  apply 
the  diamond  to  the  film  side.    There  is  more  than  one  reason 
in  favour  of  this  course.    If  we  make  our  cut  on  the  back, 
that  is,  on  the  glass  side  of  the  plate,  we  are  pretty  sure  to 
raise  a  few  tiny  filaments  of  glass  which  may  lead  to  scratch- 
ing of  the  film  subsequently ;  we  find,  too,  that  when  the  cut 
is  made  in  this  manner,  and  the  glass  is  broken  into  two 
halves,  it  still  remains  united  by  a  tough  hinge  of  gelatine, 
which  cannot  be  parted  without  some  effort,  and  which  will 
often  lead  to  partial  stripping  of  the  film.    But  by  cutting 
through  the  gelatine  in  the  first  instance,  this  last  difficult 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


15 


cannot  arise,  and  there  will  be  no  spicules  of  glass  to  cause 
after-scratches  of  the  film. 

But  a  difficulty  arises  in  the  circumstance  that  all  glaziers' 
diamonds  will  not  cut  through  gelatine.  Mr.  B.  J.  Edwards 
tells  me  that  it  is  his  practice  to  send  to  the  manufacturers 
for  a  number  of  diamonds  at  a  time,  and  to  try  them  one  by 
one,  so  as  to  sort  out  the  minority  which  will  cut  through  a 
glass  plate  on  the  film  side.  He  tells  me  that  a  diamond 
which  will  do  this,  and  one  which  will  not,  do  not  differ  in 
appearance  in  any  way,  even  when  subjected  to  the  closest 
scrutiny.  The  only  way  of  finding  out  the  right  kind  is  by 
careful  trial,  and  not  by  mere  examination. 

Common  sheet  glass  is  never  quite  flat,  and  when  we 
consider  the  process  by  which  it  is  made,  it  is  easy  to  see  why 
this  should  be  the  case.  The  glass  is  first  blown  by  successive 
stages  to  a  cylindrical  figure.  This  cylinder  is  then  cut  down 
longitudinally,  and  while  it  is  left  to  soften  upon  a  table 
under  the  heat  of  a  furnace,  it  gradually  unbends,  and  falls 
flat  by  its  own  weight.  Plate  glass, on  the  other  hand,  presents 
a  true  surface,  for  it  is  produced  by  quite  a  different  series  of 
operations.  It  is  cast  glass  in  reality,  for  the  soft  mass  is 
poured  upon  a  table,  after  which  it  is  traversed  by  a  heavy 
roller,  and  finally  ground  and  polished.  These  latter  pro- 
cesses reduce  its  mass  by  about  40  per  cent.  Messrs.  Chance, 
of  Birmingham,  were  the  first  to  apply  this  polishing  process 
to  sheet  glass  of  selected  quality,  and  it  is  this  glass  that 
should  be  used,  if  procurable,  for  all  photographic  purposes. 
It  is  known  in  the  trade  as  "  patent  plate,"  and  although  it 
is  far  more  expensive  than  common  glass,  it  possesses  advan- 
ta^ai  which  make  it  worth  its  cost.    Among  these  qualities 


16 


EVENING  WORK. 


are  smoothness,  flatness,  and  freedom  from  striae  and  other 
imperfections.  It  is,  therefore,  as  well  to  work  on  patent 
plate  if  we  require  a  sheet  of  ground  glass,  as  this  will  much 
lessen  the  labour,  and  the  beauty  of  the  result  will  be 
enhanced. 

The  grinding  of  a  small  piece  of  glass  is  by  no  means 
difficult,  and  the  amateur  photographer  should  know  how 
to  do  it.  The  glass  is  fastened  down  on  a  wooden  table,  or 
work-bench,  between  fillets  of  wood  of  the  same  thickness. 
It  is  now  plentifully  supplied  with  a  mud  made  of  flour- 
emery  and  water,  and  is  rubbed  continuously  either  with  a 
small  piece  of  thick  plate-glass,  or  with  a  piece  of  flat  tin 
plate  with  a  handle  attached.  Every  now  and  then  the 
glass  should  be  lifted  from  the  table,  washed  under  a  tap, 
and  examined.  If  any  clear  spaces  are  left,  the  rubbing 
operation  must  be  renewed  until  they  disappear  and  an 
even  ground  surface  is  obtained.  By  this  simple  means  a 
grain  of  exquisite  fineness  can  be  secured,  and  one  that  is 
eminently  fitted  for  the  purpose  of  focussing,, 


CHAPTER  III. 


HINTS  WITH  REGARD  TO  APPARATUS  FOR  LANTERN-SLIDE 
NEGATIVES. 

I  HOSE  who  are  anxious  to  devote  themselves 
to  lantern  slide  production,  and  who  have 
not  yet  possessed  themselves  of  photographic 
apparatus,  or  who  have  perhaps  been  in  the 
habit  of  producing  pictures  measuring  12  by 
10,  or  even  larger,  will  be  anxious  to  know  what  is  the 
most  serviceable  kind  of  camera  to  adopt  for  this  special 
class  of  work.     I  have  no  hesitation  in  recommending 

o 

the  quarter  plate  as  being  the  most  useful  size  for 
lantern  work.  Most  amateur  lantern  pictures  are  now 
produced  by  contact  with  the  negative,  and  therefore  this 
negative  should  be  of  the  same  size,  or  about  the  same  size? 
as  the  lantern  slide  to  be  obtained  from  it.  The  standard 
size  for  the  lantern  picture  is  3|  inches  square ;  this  is  a 
comfortable  size  in  many  ways,  and  is  certainly  not  likely 
to  be  altered  ;  for  it  is  convenient  both  to  the  camera  worker, 
and  is  suitable  to  the  instrument  by  which  when  finished  its 
image  is  to  be  projected  upon  the  screen.  As  the  quarter- 
plate  measures  3|  ins.  by  4  J  ins,  we  have  an  inch  to  spare 


18 


EVENING  WORK  Foil 


at  one  side  of  the  plate,  and  as  most  landscapes  will  be  taken 
so  that  the  spare  inch  is  at  the  sides  of  the  picture,  it  gives 
us  a  certain  amount  of  horizontal  latitude  in  printing  our 
lantern  picture  from  it.  What  I  mean  is,  that  we  can  from 
such  a  negative,  by  shifting  the  lantern  plate  upon  it  from 
side  to  side,  choose  the  very  best  portion  of  the  picture.  We 
also  have  to  some  extent  latitude  with  regard  to  the  picture 
vertically  ;  for  although  the  negative  will  only  measure  this 
way  the  exact  size  of  the  lantern  picture,  yet,  as  the  upper 
portion-of  the  negative  will  represent  the  sky,  we  can  easily 
shift  the  picture  a  quarter  of  an  inch  or  so  if  required ;  for 
the  clear  glass  representing  sky  can  readily  be  secured  above 
the  actual  negative,  by  pasting  upon  it  a  little  slip  of  dark 
paper  ;  or  we  can  secure  the  same  end  by  shading  the  upper 
part  of  the  negative  during  exposure.  The  question  of 
printing-in  clouds  from  a  separate  negative  will  for  the 
present  be  reserved. 

For  ordinary  straightforward  landscape,  the  simpler  form 
of  camera  that  we  can  obtain  the  better.  If  the  depth  of 
our  purse  is  not  limited,  the  best  course  is  to  buy  a  first- 
rate  camera  with  all  the  movements  which  such  instruments 
possess  in  the  way  of  swing-back,  rising  front,  and  so  on. 
Such  a  camera  will  be  serviceable  for  all  kinds  of  subjects, 
But  if  the  question  of  cost  must  come  in,  the  worker  will 
find  that  he  can  take  first-rate  lantern  pictures  with  a 
very  much  simpler  form  of  apparatus.  The  movements  to 
which  I  have  just  alluded,  although  most  desirable  under 
certain  circumstances,  are  really  not  very  often  brought  into 
play ;  and  if  our  intention  is  to  confine  ourselves  to  pure 
landscape,  they  can  very  well  be  dispensed  with.    If  we  are 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


19 


taking  street  views,  or  including  architectural  subjects  in 
our  pictures,  it  is  a  different:  matter,  for  in  such  cases  it  is 
often  necessary  to  tilt  the  camera ;  and  directly  it  is  thus 
tilted  out  of  the  horizontal  position,  the  straight  lines  of  any 
buildings  that  may  be  in  front  of  it  are  immediately  caused 
to  converge  in  a  very  unpleasant  manner,  and  this  converg- 
ing of  the  lines  must  be  corrected  by  the  judicious  use  of  the 
swing-back.  But  however  simple  the  form  of  the  camera, 
it  should  be  provided  with  a  bellows  giving  long  extension ; 
so  that  long-focus  lenses  can  be  used  as  well  as  those  of 
shorter  focus.  We  shall  presently  see  that  this  provision 
will  give  us  extended  powers. 

Although  we  may  be  careless  to  a  certain  extent  as  to  the 
kind  of  camera  we  employ,  we  cannot  be  too  particular  in 
the  lenses  which  we  attach  to  it.  Yery  good  work  can  be 
done  with  that  cheap  form  called  a  "  single  lens,"  and  for 
landscape  pure  and  simple  it  cannot  easily  be  beaten ;  but 
it  has  certain  faults — faults  which,  however,  are  generally 
very  much  exaggerated,  and  which  frighten  many  workers 
from  using  it.  It  gives  a  certain  amount  of  curvature  of 
straight  lines,  but  these  lines  only  get  bent  to  any  visible 
extent  when  they  are  at  the  margin  of  the  picture  ;  and  such 
curvature  in  pure  landscape  may  be  disregarded  entirely,  for 
practically  there  are  no  rigidly  straight  lines  in  nature,  if 
we  except  the  horizontal  line  which  marks  the  distance  in  a 
seascape.  Mr.  Dallmeyer  has  recently  introduced  a  new 
form  of  single  lens,  which  gives  straight  lines,  and  there  is 
little  doubt  that  this  form  has  a  great  future  before  it ;  but 
the  old  form  of  single  lens,  on  account  of  its  cheapness,  is 
too  often  regarded  as  being  good  for  nothing,  but,  as  we  have 


20 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


seen,  it  will  do  very  good  work,  so  long  as  it  is  confined  to 
landscape.  Another  disadvantage  which  it  has  is  its  com- 
parative slowness,  so  that  what  are  called  instantaneous 
pictures  cannot  be  taken  by  its  aid  unless  the  light  be  better 
than  it  often  is  in  this  country. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  most  useful  all-round  lens  for 
this  and  other  photographic  work  is  that  known  as  the  rapid 
rectilinear,  or  rapid  symmetrical,  for  it  will  take  landscapes, 
architectural  subjects,  groups,  portraits  of  small  size,  and 
instantaneous  pictures.  This  form  of  lens  consists  of  two 
achromatic  combinations,  with  their  concave  surfaces  facing 
one  another,  and  the  diaphragm  aperture  being  mid-way 
between  the  two,  and  it  is  perfectly  free  from  the  faults 
possessed  by  the  single  lens.  Moreover,  it  can  be  used  on 
occasions  as  a  single  lens  by  removing  the  front  combina- 
tion and  using  the  back  one  alone.  This  combination  will 
then  act  as  a  single  lens,  giving  an  image  which  is  far 
larger  in  size  than  that  given  by  the  complete  lens.  This 
power  of  transformation  will  be  found  most  useful,  and 
really  affords  the  operator  all  the  advantages  which  wouM 
accrue  from  working  with  two  lenses  of  different  foci.  For 
instantaneous  work  the  lens  must  be  provided  with  a  shutter 
of  some  form,  but  it  would  be  impossible,  in  the  limits  of 
these  articles,  to  detail  the  various  kinds  which  are  now 
offered  by  manufacturers.  The  simple  drop  shutter  is  by 
no  means  to  be  despised,  for  it  will  do  good  work,  does  not 
readily  get  out  of  order,  and  is  cheap. 

The  worker  will  do  well  to  provide  himself  with  another 
lens  of  short  focus.  That  known  as  the  portable  symme- 
trical or  wide-angle  form  is  one  of  the  most  useful ;  it  is  not 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


21 


a  quick  lens,  but  does  admirably  for  copying  purposes,  and 
for  taking  interior  views  with  long  exposure.  The  posses- 
sion of  a  short-focus  lens,  too,  will  be  found  useful.  On 
occasions  the  operator  may  be  so  placed  that  when  he  views 
the  picture  on  the  ground-glass  focussing  screen  it  appears 
far  too  large  for  the  limits  of  a  lantern  slide.  Thus,  for 
instance,  he  may  be  wishful  to  take  a  photograph  of  a 
church,  and  the  only  point  from  which  a  satisfactory  view 
can  be  obtained  is  from  a  corner  of  the  churchyard.  His 
camera  is  erected  there,  but  he  finds  upon  examining  the 
ground  glass  that  only  a  small  portion  of  the  church  is  taken 
in.  He  cannot  move  back  so  as  to  reduce  the  scale  of  his 
picture,  for  the  space  is  confined,  so  that  he  must  either 
take  a  limited  view  or  give  up  the  attempt.  But  not  so  if 
he  be  provided  with  a  short-focus  lens,  which  by  the  way 
should  screw  into  the  same  flange  as  his  other  lens.  The 
former  is  quickly  substituted  for  the  latter  ;  the  camera  is 
racked  in,  so  as  to  accommodate  itself  to  the  shorter  focus 
of  the  new  lens,  and  upon  looking  at  the  ground  glass  the 
operator  finds  to  his  satisfaction  that  the  whole  of  the 
building  is  included. 

And  now,  for  the  sake  of  showing  the  use  of  the  rectili- 
near as  a  single  lens,  let  us  imagine  that  the  case  is 
reversed.  The  operator  is  standing  at  the  edge  of  a  river, 
upon  the  opposite  bank  of  which  stands  a  building  which  he 
wishes  to  photograph.  Here  the  short-focus  lens  would  le 
quite  out  of  place,  for  the  building  would  be  reduced  to  so 
small  a  size  that  the  picture  would  be  useless.  He  then 
tries  how  it  looks  with  his  rapid  rectilinear  ;  now  he  finds 
that  the  picture  is  a  good  deal  bigger,  but  still  too  small 


22 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


to  be  effective.  Thereupon  he  unscrews  the  front  lens  from 
its  mount,  places  a  small  stop  in  the  diaphragm  slot,  racks 
out  his  camera  to  double  its  former  length,  and  he  sees  now 
that  the  ground  glass  is  fully  occupied  by  the  coveted  image. 
It  is  not  my  purpose  to  recommend  the  lens  of  one  maker 
above  that  of  another,  for  there  are  now  plenty  of  good  ones 
to  be  had.  But  what  I  urge  most  strongly  is  that  the  pur- 
chaser should  get  as  good  a  lens  as  he  can  afford.  Photo- 
graphic friends  will  tell  him  what  to  buy,  if  he  will  only 
state  the  amount  of  money  that  he  can  expend  upon  this 
most  important  part  of  his  photographic  apparatus. 

Those  who  employ  a  quarter-plate  camera  are  relieved  of 
several  inconveniences  which  beset  the  worker  with  appara- 
tus of  larger  size.  The  whole  kit  is  so  compact  and  has 
such  little  weight  that  it  can  be  carried  everywhere,  and 
can  often  accompany  its  owner  on  expeditions  connected 
with  his  business,  packed  away  in  some  corner  of  his  port- 
manteau, into  which  a  larger  sized  camera  could  never  be 
squeezed.  But  there  is  a  still  greater  advantage  found  in 
the  circumstance  that  there  are  many  clever  devices  for 
changing  plates  which  can  be  well  applied  to  the  quarter- 
plate  camera,  but  which  become  cumbersome  when  fitted  to 
the  larger  sized  instruments.  Take,  for  instance,  the  oldest, 
and  perhaps  the  best  form  of  changing  box — Hare's.  It 
holds  from  twelve  to  fifteen  plates,  and  each  one  in  turn  can 
be  placed  in  the  dark  slide,  in  bright  sunlight,  without  any 
chance  of  light  fog.  The  weight  of  the  box  when  filled  with 
plates  is  insignificant,  but  apply  the  same  treatment  to  the 
half  plate  size,  and  the  thing  at  once  becomes  a  burden. 
The  same  reasoning  will  apply  to  nearly  all  changing 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


23 


systems,  and  at  the  same  time  we  must  remember  that  a 
large  number  of  plates  is  not  always  required.  On  many 
occasions  a  couple  of  plates,  contained  in  an  ordinary  double 
back,  are  sufficient  for  the  particular  purpose  in  view,  and, 
therefore,  I  would  recommend  any  one  adopting  the 
changing-box  system  to  take  care  that  double  backs  can  be 
used  with  the  camera  when  necessary. 

So  far  I  have  supposed  that  the  operator  is  contemplating 
the  use  of  gelatine  plates,  but  of  course  we  must  not  lose 
sight  of  the  circumstance  that  many  will  discard  glass  in 
favour  of  celluloid.  Certainly,  all  will  not  do  so,  for 
questions  with  regard  to  cost  both  of  the  films  and  altera- 
tion of  apparatus  will  have  to  be  considered ;  and  for  a  long 
time  we  may  feel  sure  that  glass  plates  will  be  used  by  the 
majority  of  workers.  At  the  same  time  those  to  whom 
expense  is  no  object  will  substitute  the  new  method  for 
the  old,  and  will  gladly  exchange  heavy  glass  for  light  cellu- 
loid. The  difference  in  weight  will,  however,  not  much 
affect  the  worker  with  quarter-plates,  and,  therefore,  the 
searcher  after  negatives  for  lantern  slides  can  in  this  matter 
well  afford  to  take  up  a  neutral  position. 

All  photographic  beginners  have  a  notion  that  they  must 
go  in  for  what  are  called  instantaneous  pictures,  and  they 
think  that  they  have  only  to  get  a  camera  and  they 
can  at  once  secure  pictures  of  express  trains,  horses 
racing,  and  all  sorts  of  pictures  showing  quick  motion. 
It  is  true  that  such  pictures  are  taken,  but  not  by 
beginners.  It  requires  a  very  great  experience  and  a 
worker  of  the  first  class  to  turn  out  satisfactory  pictures  of 
this  kind ;  and  so  we  would  advise  the  beginner  to  practice 


24 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


for  a  long  time  with  the  ordinary  form  of  camera  before  ho 
attempts  these  instantaneous  effects,  or  else  he  is  likely  to 
suffer  great  disappointment.  He  may  be  tempted  to  buy 
what  is  known  as  a  detective  camera — a  better  name  for 
which  is  the  hand  camera,  for  detective  cameras  seldom 
detect  anything.  It  is  a  most  useful  instrument  for  certain 
purposes  ;  for  little  studies  at  the  seaside,  on  the  beach  or  of 
passing  vessels  at  sea,  it  can  hardly  be  excelled  ;  but  it  can- 
not be  used  satisfactorily  except  in  the  best  of  light. 
Perhaps  in  the  near  future  we  may  have  quicker  lenses, 
quicker  plates,  or,  what  is  far  more  likely,  more  developing 
power,  and  then  the  field  of  work  covered  by  these  hand 
cameras  will  be  very  much  extended.  But  at  present  a 
good  light,  if  not  actually  sunlight,  is  one  of  the  first  con- 
ditions of  success.  I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  experience  in 
the  use  of  these  detective  cameras,  and  a  short  time  ago  I 
published  a  few  notes  embodying  my  notions  respecting 
them.  As  I  have  found  no  reason  to  alter  my  opinions, 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  I  have  since  had  unusual 
opportunities  of  working  with  various  forms  of  this  instru- 
ment, I  will  here  give  a  short  summary  of  what  I  then 
wrote  concerning  it. 

As  a  convenient  method  of  obtaining  snap  shops  under 
good  light  the  detective  or  hand  camera  is  unequalled,  and 
will  for  such  work  displace  the  ordinary  camera.  As  a  rule, 
hand  cameras  are  far  too  elaborate,  and  many  of  their 
usual  adjuncts  can  be  well  dispensed  with.  The  lens  should 
be  of  such  a  type  that  everything  beyond  a  given  distance  is 
in  focus,  so  that  no  focussing  movement  is  wanted.  A 
finder  is  also  unnecessary,  for  while  the  operator  is  examining 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


25 


it  he  will  perhaps  lose  an  opportunity  which  he  would 
otherwise  at  once  take  advantage  of.  The  shutter  should 
have  two  speeds,  one  for  street  views,  and  a  far 
quicker  movement  for  seascapes  and  open  views  where  there 
is  no  dearth  of  light.  The  camera  should  be  capable  of 
taking  the  plates  as  they  come  from  the  makers — that  is  to 
say,  they  should  not  require  insertion  in  sheaths.  The 
plates  used  should  be  both  quick  and  of  good  quality.  There 
are  a  few  detective  cameras  in  the  market  which  meet  some 
of  these  conditions,  but  the  absolutely  perfect  instrument 
has  not  yet  appeared. 

Referring  again  to  the  more  ordinary  work  of  the  pho- 
tographer, it  must  be  conceded  that  a  negative  for  repro- 
duction as  a  lantern-slide  must  be  without  flaw  or  blemish, 
for  magnification  will  quickly  draw  attention  to  every- 
thing of  the  kind.  Some  otherwise  good  lantern  pictures 
which  I  have  seen  have  been  quite  spoilt  by  halation.  In 
its  more  aggravated  form  halation  is  well  known  to  every- 
body who  has  ever  looked  at  the  photograph  of  a  church 
interior.  It  will  be  noticed  that  all  openings  next  the 
light  are  surrounded  by  a  kind  of  halo  or  fog ;  and  that  the 
details  in  the  windows  themselves — -that  is  to  say,  the  bars, 
the  tracery,  and  the  leads  which  divided  the  panes  of  glass — 
are  altogether  blotted  out  in  a  white  mist.  The  same  effect, 
in  a  minor  degree,  is  often  noticed  in  outdoor  scenes ;  the 
tops  of  the  houses  in  a  street  view  sometimes  seem  to  be 
in  a  misty  condition,  and  the  chimney  pots,  instead  of 
standing  out  clear  against  the  sky,  are  also  very  dimly 
defined ;  the  same  thing  can  be  noticed  very  often  in  the 
tops  of  trees.    This  defect,  which  makes  its  appearance 


26 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


whenever  bright  light  comes  against  the  dark  portion  of 
a  picture,  is  known  as  halation,  and  is  caused  by  reflect  ons 
from  the  back  of  the  glass  negative  plate.  A  negative 
having  this  defect  should  not  be  used  for  lantern-slide 
work,  for  it  is  quite  impossible  to  get  a  perfect  lantern-slide 
from  a  negative  which  is  itself  imperfect.  The  only  satis- 
factory cure  that  I  know  of  is  at  best  a  makeshift,  but  it 
is  effective,  albeit  it  requires  a  little  time  and  patience. 
Suppose  that  we  have  a  negative  which  shows  this  fault, 
the  best  way  to  proceed  is  to  remove  the  varnish  from  it — 
if  it  has  already  been  varnished — by  immersing  it  in  warm 
methylated  spirit,  and  rubbing  with  a  tuft  of  cobton  wool, 
and  then  to  rub  the  dark  portions  of  the  negative  which 
exhibit  this  fault  with  a  piece  of  old  linen,  stretched  over 
the  finger,  moistened  with  alcohol.  The  work  must  be  done 
judiciously  and  gently,  and  we  shall  soon  find  that  the 
linen  over  the  finger  becomes -black,  showing  that  part  of 
the  gelatine  surface  has  been  actually  removed.  We  then 
shift  the  finger  to  a  fresh  portion  of  the  linen,  moisten 
once  more  with  spirit,  and  proceed  as  before,  until  we  find 
by  holding  the  negative  up  to  the  light  that  the  darkness 
has  been  to  a  great  extent  removed.  But,  of  course, 
prevention  is  always  better  than  cure,  and,  luckily,  pre- 
vention in  this  case  is  easier  than  cure.  If  we  are  using 
glass  plates,  we  can  stop  halation  by  giving  the  back  of 
the  glass  a  coating  of  colour,  by  means  of  a  brush  or  a 
piece  of  sponge,  but  a  better  way  was  recently  brought 
before  the  Photographic  Club  by  Mr.  Carter,  who  showed 
how  a  number  of  plates  can  be  thus  coated  on  the  back 
with   a  small  composition  roller,  like  that  used  by  a 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


27 


printer  ;  no  doubt  an  india-rubber  roller  would  answer  the 
same  purpose,  and  such  rollers  are  now  sold  at  the  photo- 
graphic warehouses  for  mounting  prints.  The  best  material 
for  backing  plates  is  burnt  sienna,  ground  in  water,  which 
can  be  bought  at  oil  shops.  A  small  piece,  the  size  of  a  nut, 
is  put  on  a  sheet  of  glass,  and  to  it  is  added  a  little  water, 
a  few  drops  of  spirit,  and  a  pinch  of  dextrine.  This 
mixture  forms  a  cream-like  mud,  and  the  roller  is  worked 
upon  it  until  it  is  evenly  distributed  over  the  sheet  of 
glass.  The  plates  are  now  to  be  treated  one  after  the 
other — of  course,  by  the  red  light  of  the  dark-room — and  in 
a  few  minutes  they  will  be  dry  and  ready  for  the  camera. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ISOCHROMATIC  PLATES  FOR  LANTERN -SLIDE  NEGATIVES. — 
AMATEUR  LECTURERS. 

HAVE  detailed  a  few  methods  of  rendering 
a  plate  free  from  the  troubles  caused  by  hala- 
tion, because  I  know  them  to  be  effective. 
But  the  worker  must  be  warned  against 
employing  any  pigment  of  a  powdery  charac- 
ter, which  may  get  abraded  by  the  spring  at  the  back  of  the 
dark  slide,  or  by  friction  in  any  of  the  numerous  forms 
of  changing  bags,  boxes,  or  backs.  Should  the  apparatus 
become  charged  in  this  way  with  floating  particles,  they 
are  very  difficult  to  get  rid  of,  and  will  lead  to  pin-holes, 
if  nob  to  worse  manifestations  of  their  presence. 

Some  makers  are  meeting  the  halation  trouble  by  issuing 
plates  which  are  treated  on  the  back  surface  with  a  fine 
grain.  I  have  used  plates  so  ground,  and  have  found  the 
resulting  negatives  perfectly  free  from  halation.  Upon  one 
occasion  I  photographed  a  statue — black  and  grimy  with 
London  smoke — and  standing  up  against  the  blue  sky  in  a 
manner  which  would  have  invited  halation  under  ordinary 
conditions,  but  my  negative  was  perfectly  free  from  any- 


EVENING  WORK. 


29 


thing  of  the  kind,  although  the  exposure  was  long  enough 
to  coax  detail  out  of  the  gentleman  in  black — -I  mean  the 
statue.  It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  film  negatives 
are  altogether  free  from  this  fault,  and  may  with  advan- 
tage be  employed  in  cases  where  halation  may  be  reasonably 
anticipated. 

Before  I  dismiss  the  question  of  negative  making  for  the 
purpose  of  lantern- slide  production,  it  is  as  well  that  I  should 
allude  to  the  use  of  colour-sensitive,  or  isochromatic,  plates. 
Some  prefer  to  call  them  "  orthochromatic  "  plates,  but  we 
need  not  discuss  the  suitability  of  either  term,  foi  as  a  matter 
of  fact  neither  exactly  describes  the  thing  intended,  one 
word  meaning  equal  colour  and  the  other  right  colour.  We 
all  know  now  that  these  plates  profess  to  translate  colours 
in  their  correct  tint  value  to  one  another,  using  the 
word  tint,  as  an  engraver  employs  it,  to  define  a  shade 
made  up  of  certain  proportions  of  black  and  white.  The 
value  of  such  an  innovation  is  evident  when  we  remember 
that  ordinary  plates  will  transform  blue  into  white,  reds 
and  yellows  into  blacks,  and  so  on.  So  that  anyone  who 
tried,  say,  to  photograph  a  sunset  picture,  in  which  an  artist 
had  painted  a  blood-red  orb,  hung  in  an  orange  sky,  would 
find  in  his  copy  a  black  ball  poised  against  a  background, 
only  less  dark  in  tint.  For  such  work,  as  also  for  the  right 
rendering  of  natural  flowers,  such  plates  are  almost  indis- 
pensable. I  say  almost,  for  I  believe  that  ordinary  plates, 
used  with  a  proper  yellow  screen,  and  with  extended 
exposure,  will  give  much  the  same  effect.  But  what 
is  of  more  importance  in  the  present  connection  is  the 
consideration  whether,    for   ordinary  landscape,  there  is 

3 


30 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


any  great  advantage  in  using  these  colour-sensitive  plates. 
In  order  to  put  this  matter  to  fair  experimental  proof,  I 
have  tried  the  effect  of  photographing  the  same  landscape, 
first  with  an  ordinary  plate  and  afterwards  with  one  which 
was  colour-sensitive-    These  experiments  were  made  in  the 
early  spring,  when  the  foliage  was  fresh  and  varied  in  tint. 
Upon  examining  the  negatives  taken  under  these  conditions 
I  found  little  difference  between  the  two  varieties,  with  the 
notable  exception  that  in  those  taken  late  in  the  day,  when 
the  sun  was  bathing  everything  in  a  warm  orange  light, 
the  isochromatic  plates  exhibited  double  the  detail  which 
the  others  afforded.    I  was  therefore  led  to  assume  that  in 
such  light  as  is  available  during  the  greater  part  of  the 
day  isochromatic  plates  give  no  special  advantage.    But  I 
altered  my  opinion  as  soon  as  I  had  time  to  examine 
the  prints  from  the  two  sets  of  negatives.  It  was  then  that 
I  recognised  for  the  first  time  that  the  isochromatic  nega- 
tives were  far  richer  in  tint  than  the  others,  and  possessed 
a  beautiful  softness  which  was  absent  in  the  negatives  pro- 
duced on  the  ordinary  plates.    To  borrow  a  simile  from  a 
sister  art,  I  might  say  that  the  negatives  on  ordinary 
plates  were  diatonic  in  character,  and  that  most  of  the 
intervals  were  separated  by  whole  tones,  and  that  in  the 
isochromatic  plates  the  tints  were  not  so  widely  separated, 
but  exhibited  the  greater  wealth  of  the  chromatic  scale. 
The  plates  I  used  were  Edwards's,  and  I  may  further  say 
that  for  instantaneous  work  they  are  as  quick,  and  as  satis- 
f a<  tory  in  every  way  as  any  that  I  have  tried. 

The  lantern  season  being  now  well  established,  a  great 
many  amateurs  are  busy  slide  making,  and  pe\haps  some 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


31 


are  contemplating  an  exhibition  of  their  handiwork  before 
a  more  or  less  indulgent  public.  I  have  had  many  en- 
quiries from  some  of  these  ambitious  showmen  in  embryo, 
but  some  are  more  modest  in  their  demands  than  others. 
There  is  the  ingenuous  youth,  who  plunges  at  once  in 
medias  res,  and  boldly  proposes  that  you  should  consent  to 
lend  him  your  apparatus  and  slides ;  and  there  is  also  the 
self-confident  being  who  says  that  he  is  about  to  give  a 
lecture,  that  he  has  never  given  one  before,  and  would  be 
glad  of  a  few  hints.  These  people  always  remind  me  of 
the  man  who  when  asked  whether  he  could  play  the  violin 
answered  that  he  did  not  know,  for  he  had  never  tried,  To 
such  a  one  let  me  now  address  myself,  and  tell  him  that 
successful  lecturing  is  not  a  thing  that  can  be  acquired 
easily,  that  it  not  only  requires  constant  practice  and 
experience  to  speak  effectively  before  an  audience,  but  that 
the  speaker  must  have  the  physical  advantage  of  a  good 
voice,  and  must  have  other  capabilities  which  some  men 
possess  as  natural  gifts,  but  which  can  seldom  be  acquired. 
However,  audiences  are  indulgent,  and  do  not  look  for  per- 
fection. And  the  amateur  lecturer  may  take  heart  that  he 
will  be  listened  to  attentively  if  he  will  only  take  pains  to 
make  himself  heard.  He  must  also  be  careful  to  see  that  his 
lantern  pictures  are  in  such  order  that  none  of  them 
will  appear  "  topsy-turvy  "  on  the  screen,  and  that  he  has 
an  assistant  with  sufficient  intelligence  to  get  through  the 
work  without  mishap. 

All  amateur  lecturers  should  read  the  account  of  a  dis- 
solving view  entertainment  which  forms  one  of  the  chapters 
in  Albert  Smith's  "  Adventures  of  Mr.  Ledbury."  Albert 


32 


EVENING  WORK  FOB 


Smith  being  himself  a  good  showman,  was  well  able  to  see 
the  comic  side  of  a  badly  managed  lantern  evening.  And, 
to  tell  the  truth,  there  is  not  much  exaggeration  about  it. 
An  amateur  lecturer  has  undertaken  the  task  of  describing 
the  views,  and  has  unfortunately  lost  his  list  of  the  pictures 
shown,  a  loss  which  soon  involves  him  in  serious  difficulties. 
The  first  view  is  described  as  "  The  Harbour  of  Chusan," 
while  it  plainly  shows  the  windmills  and  other  well-known 
features  of  Margate.  Then  comes  a  view  which  appears  to 
the  operator,  as  he  looks  through  the  slide  before  it  is  placed 
in  the  lantern,  to  be  "  like  some  fortifications  and  a  tower." 
The  lecturer  gives  it  out  as  the  "  citadel  and  ramparts  of 
Ghuznee,"  but  the  view  is  not  in  Afghanistan  at  all,  but  is 
one  of  "  Windsor  Castle  " — a  circumstance  to  which  atten- 
tion is  at  once  called  by  a  sharp  youth  among  the  audience. 
Then,  besides,  we  have  a  picture  of  Prince  Albert  standing 
on  his  head ;  a  view  of  Milan  Cathedral,  which  the  lecturer 
describes  as  "  The  Houses  of  Parliament  at  Westminster ;  " 
and  many  other  amusing  cases  of  misnomer. 

But,  truth  to  tell,  such  gross  mistakes  are  not  often  met 
with  now.  The  lantern  has  become  such  a  familiar  instru- 
ment, and  is  made  in  such  convenient  form,  that  it  is  really 
not  easy  to  go  wrong  with  it,  at  least  when  one  of 
simple  form  is  in  question.  The  weak  part  of  such  an  enter- 
tainment is  still  found  in  the  man  who  does  the  talking. 
Sometimes  he  is  far  too  confident  of  his  own  powers  to  take 
the  trouble  to  make  himself  familiar  with  the  pictures  shown. 
He  borrows  from  an  optician  a  published  reading — a  very 
sensible  proceeding  on  his  part,  by  the  way — but  takes  no 
care  to  compare  the  reading  with  the  pictures  which  ill  us- 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


33 


trate  it ;  so  that  if  the  operator  should  lag  one  picture  behind 
the  reader,  or  put  in  one  too  soon,  the  mistake  goes  on  from 
beginning  to  end,  and  the  intelligent  lecturer  is  describing 
either  a  scene  that  is  past  and  gone,  or  one  which  has  not 
yet  made  its  appearance.  I  need  hardly  say  that  such  con- 
fusion is  fatal  to  success,  for  each  picture  should  come  into 
view  as  it  is  mentioned;  and  some  tact  is  necessary  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  words,  so  that  the  entry  of  each  shall  be 
natural  and  effective.  As  the  novelist  or  the  playwright 
will  skilfully  lead  up  to  the  introduction  of  his  various 
characters,  so  should  the  worker  with  the  lantern  take  care 
that  his  pictures  are  brought  on  with  appropriate  words.  I 
will  presently  enter  more  fully  into  the  details  of  this  most 
important  part  of  our  winter  work. 


CHAPTER  V. 


ABOUT  LANTERN  ENTERTAINMENTS. 

HAVE  already  promised  to  devote  some  space 
to  this  subject  of  exhibiting  lantern  pictures, 
and  I  am  now  about  to  fulfil  that  promise 
by  placing  before  my  readers  a  few  directions 
which  may  help  them  in  their  efforts  to  amuse 
the  British  public.  1  have  chosen  from  my  detective 
pictures  a  few  which  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  method  in 
which  slides  can  be  advantageously  strung  together  with  a 
few  suitable  words,  so  that  they  may  appear  as  a  complete 
whole,  rather  than  as  detached  items  having  no  kind  of  con- 
nection with  one  another.  There  is  to  my  mind  nothing 
more  irksome  than  sitting  through  an  exhibition  of  lantern 
pictures  where  the  showman  has  not  the  opportunity  or  the 
power  of  giving  more  information  concerning  them  than 
their  mere  names.  This  is  frequently  the  case  at  the  lantern 
shows  of  amateur  photographic  societies,  and,  except  to 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  technical  points  of  the  pic- 
tures, such  exhibitions  are  wearisome  affairs.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  slides  can  be  sorted  into  some  kind  of  order, 
with  similar  subjects  placed  together,  and  the  whole  bound 


EVENING  WORK. 


35 


up  with  a  few  appropriate  remarks,  with  a  joke  or 
two  inserted  judiciously  as  "  high  lights "  in  the  right 
places,  the  pictures  will  be  made  interesting  to  all  the 
spectators,  instead  of,  as  at  present,  to  a  limited  few.  I 
cannot  expect  my  readers  to  regard  what  follows  as  a  model 
discourse,  but  it  is  the  kind  of  thing  which  gives  pleasure  to 
a  general  audience — as  far  as  one  can  judge  by  hearty 
laughter  and  applause,  and  is  put  forward  as  a  peg  upon 
which  pictures  of  a  certain  class  can  be  hung.  I  have 
placed  the  matter  in  the  form  of  a  letter  which  a  visitor  to 
town,  fresh  from  rural  scenes,  writes  to  her  cousin  in  the 
wilds  of  Blankshire. 

Morley's  Hotel, 

Charing  Cross,  London, 
(B1)  1.  Thursday. 

My  Dearest  Maggie, — As  I  promised,  when  I  left  Turnip- 
ton  with  Uncle  James,  to 
write  to  you  about  my  first 
impressions  of  this  big  village 
of  London,  I  now  take  up 
my  pen  to  begin.  You  will 
notice  that  I  date  from 
Morley's  Hotel,  which  is  in 
Charing  Cross,  and  you  will 
be  somewhat  surprised  to  see 
that  I  head  my  letter  with  a 
photograph  of  it,  end  that 
many  other  pictures  adorn 
my  epistle.  The  fact  is  that 
I  have  been  obliged  to  make 


B6 


EVENING  WORK  FOll 


(2.) 

to  by  different  men. 
brokers — they  had  a 
way.  He  made  me  leave 
off,  and,  as  some  compensa- 
tion for  his  interference, 
gave  me  what  they  call  a 
Detective  Camera.  This 
is  really  a  most  wonderful 
little  instrument.  It  looks 
just  like  a  little  work-box, 
but  it  contains  all  the 
things  necessary  for  taking 
a  photogr'aph  secretly,  and 
with  its  help  I  am  able  to 
take  all  kinds  of  subjects 
without    anyone  knowing 


one  slight  modification  with 
regard  to  my  promise  to  you, 
that  I  would  send  you 
sketches  of  what  I  saw.  I 
tried  to  do  some,  but  you 
have  little  idea  how  rude  the 
people  are  here,  and  how 
they  stare  at  and  crowd 
round  you,  if  you  attempt  to 
do  even  a  little  drawing.  I 
tried  to  do  one  the  other 
day  close  to  the  Royal  Ex- 
change, but  was  continually 
laughed  at  and  spoken 
Uncle  said  that  they  were  stock- 
plentiful  stock  of  impudence,  any 


(so 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


37 


(4.) 


what  I  am  doing.  It  is 
such  fun  taking  people's 
portraits  without  their 
knowing  anything  about  it. 
I  have  been  all  over  Lon- 
don with  Uncle  James,  to 
see  everything  that  is  to 
be  seen,  and  I  am  always 
accompanied  by  my  faith- 
ful witness,  the  detective 
camera.  The  most  remark- 
able thing  to  a  stranger,  in 
walking  through  the  streets 
of  this  prosperous  city,  is  the 
way  in  which  affluence  is  seen  side  by  side  with  abject 
poverty.    Look  at  this  picture  (B2),  for  instance,  which  was 

taken  in  the  West-end, 
or  fashionable  part  of 
London,  just  outside  Ken- 
sington Gardens — this  is 
where  the  big  houses  ant? 
grand  footmen  are  to  be 
found — and  compare  it 
with  this  next  one  (B3), 
which  was  taken  in  the 
slums.  These  are  loafers 
standing  at  the  corner  of 
an  alley  in  Drury  Lane. 
Drury  Lane  is  well  known 
because  of   its  handsome 


38 


EVENING  WORK  FOll 


(6.) 


theatre,  which  is  the  only 
handsome  thing  about  it. 
It  is  not  very  far  from 
Charing  Cross,  where  the 
riots  were  some  time  ago, 
and  upon  which  the  win- 
dows of  our  hotel  look  out. 
On  my  first  survey  of 
Charing  Cross  I  ex-pected 
to  see  some  advanced  Radical 
haranguing  a  large  Socialist 
mob,  but  there  was  nothing 
of  the  kind,  only  a  small 
boy — perhaps  a  Socialist, 
though — sitting  disconsolately,  and  swinging  his  legs  on 
the  side  of  one  of  the  fountains  (B4).  (Uncle  James  says 
that  these  fountains  play 
from  ten  till  four,  like  the 
Government  clerks.  Isn't 
he  dreadfully  sarcastic  ? ) 
But  there  were  a  number 
of  policemen  about  to  see 
that  the  small  boy  did  not 
set  fire  to  the  fountains  or 
begin  an  insurrection.  One 
policeman,  a  big  one,  was 
talking  to  a  rather  diminu- 
tive inspector  (B5).  It 
would  clearly  be  impossible 
in  this    casd   for    him    to  (7 } 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


3(J 


look  up  to  his 
superior  officer. 
In  a  corner  of 
Charing  Cross 
there  is  St. 
Martin's  Church  ; 
"St.  Martin's-in- 
the-fields,"  they 
call  it,  but  the 
fields  are  con- 
spicuous only  by 


(8.) 


their  absence,  and  there  is  no  sign  of  agriculture  but  that 
old  woman  selling  the  fruits  of  the  earth  (B6) — in  this 
case  apples  and  ginger  beer — from  a  barrow.  Then  at 
the  opposite  corner  of  the  Square  is  "Spring  Gardens," 
so  called,  uncle  says,  because  the  Board  of  Works,  who 

used  to  live  there,  had  lately 
"been  sprung  upon,"  but  I 
don't  quite  know  what  he 
means.  Spring  Gardens  is 
in  reality  a  passage  leading 
into  St.  James's  Park,  and 
just  at  the  point  where  it 
opens  into  the  park  some 
cows  are  kept.  Uncle  says 
that  the  reason  for  this  is 
that  the  members  of  the 
Board  liked  to  see  from  their 
windows  some  evidence  of 
rustic  simplicity.     Was  it 


40 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


not  nice  of  them  ?  But  I  was  rather  staggered  to  see  a 
man  with  a  water  cart  (B7)  spooning  water  by  the  gal- 
lon into  a  milk  can.  Look  at  my  picture  !  I  just  caught  him 
with  my  detective  camera  when  he  was  in  the  very  act.  I 
appealed  to  uncle,  and  he  told  me  that  he  thought  it  might 
be  to  mix  up  white- wash  for  the  Board,  who  required  a  lot 
of  it.  But  if  this  means  adulterated  milk,  I  am  sure  that 
some  kind  friend  should  have  told  them  how  shamefully 
they  were  being  imposed  upon. 

Talking  of  water,  we  went  to  the  river — the  River 
Thames.  You  remember  how  we  learnt  at  school  that 
London  is  on  the  Thame 3  ;  well,  it  is  so. 

A  penny  steamboat  ticket  takes  you  for  quite  a  long 
journey.  There  is  much  to  see,  and  sometimes  you  can 
get  a  little  group  of  barges  (B8),  which  are  wonderfully 
picturesque.  But  the  water  is  not  so  clean  as  it  looks  in 
my  picture.  Uncle  says  it  is  full  of  "  microbes,"  but  I 
must  confess  that  I  did  not  see  any.  There  are  piers  at 
frequent  intervals  and  the  people  crowd  upon  them  to  get 
into  the  boats  (B9).  We  landed  at  Lambeth,  where  the 
Archbishop  lives,  and  close  to  the  pier  some  big  boys  were 
taking  "  headers  "  from  a  barge.  Here  uncle  sent  me  on 
before  him  (B10),  and  he  borrowed  my  camera,  with  which 
he  took  my  next  picture.  /  didn't  do  it,  mind.  We  passed 
through  some  really  dreadful  neighbourhoods,  where  uncle 
did  not  like  me  to  stop  long  enough  to  take  pictures.  In  one 
street  some  babies  were  amusing  themselves  without  any 
kind  of  protector  (B11).  In  the  same  street  I  actually  saw 
a  miserable  five-year-old  girl  in  rags,  carrying  a  ragged 
baby,  a  tin  of  beer,  and  a  bottle  of  gin.    Isn't  it  awful  ? 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


41 


One's  heart  bleeds  for  these  poor  little  waifs.  What  is 
to  become  of  them  ?  How  different  are  their  pallid  face3 
and  rickety  limbs  from  the  healthy,  sunburnt,  and  fat 
little  bodies  that  we  see  running  about  the  fields  at 
Turnipton ! 

Yesterday  was  the  day  arter  Bank  Holiday,  and  we  came 
upon  this  curious  group  (B12)  just  outside  Bow  Street  Police 
Court.  Uncle  told  me  that  the  friends  of  these  unfortu- 
nate people  had  probably  got  intoxicated  (horrid  things  !)> 
and  were  at  that  moment  being  tried  for  their  offences. 
The  sympathetic  policeman  is  telling  the  women  what  the 
punishment  is  likely  to  be.  I  call  this  picture  "  Waiting 
for  the  Verdict,"  and  although  it  is  not  so  artistic  as 
Solomon's  well-known  work  with  the  same  title,  it  is  reality, 
and  not  romance. 

I  have  so  many  photographs  now,  thanks  to  this  detec- 
tive camera,  that  I  hardly  know  how  to  select  from  them 
those  that  you  will  think  interesting.  Here  is  one  (B13) 
taken  in  Leicester  Square.  In  the  centre  is  a  statue  of 
Shakspeare,  with  three  workmen  carefully  washing  him. 
It  seems  that  this  is  necessary,  because  some  American  has 
been  throwing  a  great  deal  of  dirt  at  him  lately;  at  least, 
so  says  my  informant,  Uncle  James. 

And  now  I  must  say  good-bye,  for  this  letter  is 
getting  dreadfully  long.  I  have  much  to  tell  you  upon 
the  important  subject  of  dress,  but  must  reserve  my 
important  information,  gleaned  in  that  world  of  delights 
called  Regent  Street,  until  we  meet.  In  the  meantime  my 
last  little  picture  will  tell  you  that  what  uncle  calls  "  those 
ridicu  ous  monstrosities"  (B14)are  still  worn,  although  it  is 


42 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


(10.) 


believed  that  they  will  pre- 
sently be  out  of  fashion. 
"With  best  love, 
Your  affectionate  cousin, 
Julia. 

P.S  —The  building  on  the 
right  of  Shakspeare's  statue 
is  the  Alhambra,  and  is  quite 
an  architectural  feature  of 
London,  and  is  a  model  of 
the  Spanish  Alhambra.  Lots 
of  people  go  there,  but  when 
I  have  asked  uncle  to  take 
me  there,  he  always  makes 
some  excuse. 


In   perusing    this  little 
sketch  of  a  lantern  enter- 
tainment  the  reader  will 
notice  that  the  text  is  fre- 
quently interrupted  by  the 
insertion  of  a  big  B.  This 
is  meant  to  indicate  the  point 
where  the  reciter  must  touch 
his  gong  or  other  signal,  so 
that   the  operator   at  the 
lantern  may  change  to  the 
next  picture.      The  signal 
should    in  every   case  be 
given    a    few   seconds  be- 


(ii.) 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


43 


02.) 


fore  the  picture  is  actually 
required,  so  as  to  allow 
time  for  the  necessary 
manipulations. 

Another  point  which 
cannot  be  too  urgently  in- 
sisted upon  is  the  necessity 
for  the  reader  to  thorough- 
ly know  his  subject  be- 
forehand, and  to  be  ac- 
quainted with  the  pic- 
tures which  illustrate  it. 
He  should,  in  fact,  care- 
fully study  the  text,  while 
at  the  same  time  he  examines  each  picture  as  it  comes  in 
order,  so  as  to  find  out  all  its  points,  some  possibly  which 

  have  been  overlooked  before. 

In  this  way  alone  can  he 
make  his  remarks  effective 
and  interesting  to  his 
audience. 

Eloquence  is  a  natural 
gift  which  no  amount  of 
study  can  command ;  but  a 
study  of  elocution  is  both 
advantageous  and  desirable; 
and  this  study  can  be  had 
for  nothing,  by  taking  every 
opportunity  of  hearing  good 
public  speaking. 


44 


EVENING  WORK. 


r 


Unfortunately,  the  oppor- 
tunities of  this  kind  are 
few  and  far  between,  for 
good  speakers  are  rare. 
About  fifteen  years  ago  I 
heard  the  lessons  read  in 
church  with  such  marvel- 
lous effect  by  an  accom- 
plished speaker,  that  I 
have  never  forgotten  the 
particular  chapters  read 
upon  that  evening. 


Once  again,  lately,  I 
had   a    similar  experience. 


But  only  upon  these  two  occasions  during  my  experience 
as  a  pretty  frequent  church-goer  have  I  heard  the  lessons 
thus  beautified.  I  do  not  believe  in  learning  elocution  from 
books,  although  there  are  many  volumes  written  upon  the 
subject.  One  which  I  recently  looked  over — I  had  not 
the  patience  to  read  it  through — was  the  veriest  balder- 
dash. The  writer  worked  upon  the  system  of  selecting  some 
well-known  poem,  and  then  giving  directions  for  its  recita- 
tion, especially  pointing  out  where  the  accents  should  be 
laid.  Now,  anyone  who  is  not  deaf  and  dumb,  knows 
where  the  accent  should  fall,  and  there  is  no  need  to  tell 
him.  For  in  reading,  these  accents  come  in  as  naturally  as 
they  do  in  music ;  and  in  both,  contrast  can  often  be  enforced 
by  a  syncopation.  But  the  ingenious  writer  referred  to 
ignored  all  this,  and  dissected  his  examples  with  the  most 
ludicrous  effect. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


LANTERN  TRANSPARENCIES  IN  STAINED  ALBUMEN. 

FRENCH  manual  was  published  some  time  ago 
which  dealt  with  quite  a  new  application  of 
photography  in  the  production  of  proofs 
which  owe  their  density  to  the  application 
of  one  of  the  aniline  dyes  This  manual  is  by 
M.  Geymet,  and  he  not  only  describes  the  application  of  the 
process  to  photographs  on  paper,  but  also  to  transparencies  on 
glass.  This  last  application  of  it  we  are  at  present  alone  con- 
cerned with.  The  method  depends  in  the  first  place  upon  the 
same  chemical  phenomena  as  some  other  processes,  among 
which  we  may  mention  the  carbon  method,  and  the  Wood- 
burytype ;  that  is  to  say,  it  takes  advantage  of  the  action 
of  those  salts  which  are  known  as  the  bichromates  of  the 
alkalies,  of  which  the  bichromate  of  potash  is  a  well-known 
example.  Admixture  of  one  of  these  salts  with  any  colloid  sub- 
stance such  as  gum,  gelatine,  etc.,  will  cause  that  substance 
to  become  quite  insoluble  after  insolation  or  exposure  to  light. 
It  is  a  developing  process,  but  the  development  is  in  its 


46 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


nature  more  mechanical  than  chemical.  Albumen  is  the 
colloid  substance  employed,  and  it  plays  the  principal  part 
in  the  process. 

The  order  of  operations  necessary  in  producing  lantern 
pictures  by  this  method  is  briefly  as  follows.  Thin  clear 
glass  of  any  convenient  size — for  it  can  be  cut  down  to 
the  standard  lantern  size  subsequently — is  covered  with  a 
coating  of  chromated  albumen,  that  is  to  say,  albumen  which 
has  been  impregnated  with  one  of  the  salts  already 
mentioned.  It  is  then  dried  and  exposed  to  diffused  light 
beneath  the  negative  in  the  ordinary  printing  frame ;  after 
which  the  plate  is  simply  developed  in  fresh  water,  when 
those  parts  not  affected  by  light  dissolve  away,  leaving  the 
other  insoluble  portions  on  the  surface  of  the  glass  to  form 
the  picture.  The  proof  so  obtained  is  now  treated  with  any 
suitable  aniline  dye,  which  has  been  dissolved  in  alcohol ;  it 
is  then  rinsed  with  water  to  remove  the  surplus  colour,  and 
the  picture  is  finished. 

I  will  now  describe  the  process  in  greater  detail,  and  I 
may  say  at  once  that  it  requires  much  care  in  order  to 
ensure  success.  The  preparation  of  the  sensitive  mixture 
is  the  first  thing,  and  to  compound  it  the  following  three 
solutions  must  be  made  up  : 


A. 


Gum-arabic,  pure  (pulv.) 
Distilled  water 
In  another  vessel  mix : 


100  c.c. 


5  grammes. 


B. 


White  of  egg 
Distilled  water 


100  c.c. 


25  grammes. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


47 


0. 

Ammonia  bichromate     .  .         . .     2 '50  grammes. 

Potash  bichromate         .  .        .  .     2  50  „ 

Distilled  water    .  .        .  .        .  .     50  c.c. 

A  and  B  are  now  mixed  together  in  a  basin  and  beaten  up 
with  a  fork.  Or  a  more  effectual  method  is  to  place  the  mix- 
ture in  a  bottle  together  with  a  number  of  fragments  of 
glass.  After  corking  up  the  bottle,  give  it  a  vigorous 
shaking  for  two  or  three  minutes  until  the  albumen  mix- 
ture is  thoroughly  frothed  up.  At  the  commencement  of 
this  shaking  operation  add  a  quarter  of  the  sensitising 
liquid  C,  and  gradually  add  the  remainder,  giving  a  vigorous 
shake  between  each  addition  until  the  whole  has  been  so 
added.  The  operation  must  not  be  hurried,  and  should  be 
carried  out  the  night  before  the  compound  is  required  for 
use.  After  an  hour  or  two,  when  it  has  subsided,  repeat 
the  shaking  or  beating  into  a  froth  as  before,  and  then  let 
the  mixture  rest  until  the  following  day.  The  next  opera- 
tion is  to  strain  the  liquid  through  paper  niters  three  times, 
after  which  treatment  the  milky-looking  fluid  should  have 
become  as  transparent  as  water.  If  the  best  results  are 
wanted,  the  mixture  should  be  used  fresh,  and  certainly  not 
after  two  or  three  days,  for  after  that  time  it  gets  insensi- 
tive, and  must  have  more  of  the  bichromates  added  to  it  in 
order  to  make  it  serviceable.  But  even  with  this  precau- 
tion, it  would  not  possess  the  qualities  of  a  freshly  prepared 
mixture.  It  will  therefore  be  as  well  to  prepare  only  as 
much  as  can  be  used  up  at  once. 

The  next  operation  is  to  coat  the  plates  with  this  chromated 
albumen,  and  I  may  observe  here  that  the  addition  of  the 


48 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


gum  to  the  albumen  makes  the  coating  porous,  so  that 
the  aniline  colour  which  is  afterwards  applied  to  it  will 
penetrate  it  to  some  depth.  It  will  be  found  that  the  mix- 
ture, in  spite  of  its  thickness,  will  flow  well  over  the  glass 
plates — not  so  readily,  certainly,  as  collodion  will,  but  if  the 
glass  be  first  of  all  thoroughly  washed,  and  if,  moreover,  we 
take  the  precaution,  as  in  coating  gelatine  plates,  to  rub 
over  it  as  a  final  operation  a  little  alcohol  on  a  piece 
of  wash-leather,  we  shall  find  that  the  sensitive  mixture 
will  traverse  the  surface  without  much  difficulty.  If  with 
all  these  precautions,  the  glass  should  seem  to  be  repellent 
of  the  liquid,  a  piece  of  card  or  a  glass  rod  will  help  in  the 
coating  operation. 

Before  attempting  to  coat,  the  greatest  precautions 
should  be  taken  against  the  access  of  dust,  for,  as  in  coating 
gelatine  plates,  dust  is  the  great  thing  to  dread.  It  will  there- 
fore be  as  well  some  time  before  conducting  this  part  of  the 
work  to  sprinkle  the  dark-room  floor  and  its  table  with 
water,  and  the  inventor  of  this  process  recommends  the 
further  precaution  of  allowing  the  steam  from  a  vessel  of 
boiling  water  to  moisten  the  air,  and  to  coax  down  the 
floating  dust.  Just  before  coating,  the  glasses  should  be 
brushed  over  with  a  badger- hair  brush  to  remove  any  little 
particles  of  dust  which  may  have  settled  upon  them. 

The  mixture  is  poured  on  the  glass,  whilst  the  plate  is 
supported  in  a  horizontal  position,  on  a  previously  levelled 
surface,  and  the  surplus  from  each,  as  in  the  case  of  similar 
coating  operations,  should  be  poured  into  another  vessel,  in 
which  stands  a  glass  funnel  furnished  with  a  filter  paper. 
The  time  occupied  in  coating  a  number  of  glasses,  if  they 


1MATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS  49 

be  placed  side  by  side  on  a  levelled  slab,  will  only  amount  to 
a  few  minutes.  They  have  next  to  be  dried,  but  in  this  dry- 
ing, heat  from  any  source  whatever  must  be  avoided,  for 
we  must  remember  that  in  albumen  we  have  to  deal  with 
a  very  different  substance  to  gelatine.  Gelatine  will  dry 
if  a  moderate  amount  of  heat  be  applied  to  it  5  but  if  it 
be  attempted  to  dry  by  heat  a  plate  treated  with  albumen, 
the  albumen  will  coagulate,  and  the  plate  will  be  spoilt. 
We  must  therefore  depend  solely  upon  ventilation  for  dry- 
ing ;  but  as  slow  drying  would  be  likely,  for  other  reasons, 
to  lead  to  failure,  it  is  as  well  to  fan  the  plates  as  they  lie 
on  a  level  slab,  using  a  piece  of  cardboard  for  the  purpose. 
If  in  spite  of  all  care  in  c Dating,  dust  and  air  bubbles  make 
themselves  disagreeably  apparent  while  the  plate  is  yet 
wet,  the  best  way  of  getting  rid  of  such  intruders  is  to 
blow  them  by  means  of  a  tube  towards  the  edge  of  the 
glass,  and  then  remove  them  with  the  finger  or  with  a 
piece  of  card.  The  operation  of  coating,  and  the  general 
preparation  of  the  sensitive  liquid,  may  be  carried  out  in 
a  bright  yellow  light,  for  the  plates,  like  all  photographic 
preparations  in  which  the  bichromates  are  employed,  are 
very  insensitive  whilst  wet,  but  when  dry  are  in  a 
far  more  sensitive  condition,  although  still  many  hundred 
times  less  sensitive  than  the  bromide  plates  with  which  the 
photographer  has  generally  to  deal.  The  plates  thus  pre- 
pared and  dried  may  be  put  away  in  a  grooved  box,  and  will 
keep  for  a  day,  provided  that  no  white  light  reaches 
them,  and  that  the  atmosphere  in  which  they  are  kept  is 
free  from  gaseous  or  other  fumes.  In  this  respect  the  plates 
are  subject  to  the  same  influences  as  sensitised  carbon  tissue. 

s 


50  EVENING  WORK  FOR 


We  now  come  to  the  exposure  of  these  plates.  It  will 
be  as  well,  before  placing  one  of  them  beneath  a  negative 
in  the  printing  frame,  to  test  it  wTith  the  finger,  in  order 
to  see  that  it  is  perfectly  dry,  and  if  there  be  any 
suspicion  of  dampness,  it  is  a  good  precaution  to  rub  the  plate 
with  a  little  French  chalk,  applied  with  the  tip  of  the  finger. 
The  glass  may  then  be  placed  beneath  a  negative  in  a  printing 
frame,  and  exposed  to  diffused  light.  If  the  negative  be 
very  dense  or  discoloured,  direct  sunlight  may  be  allowed  to 
shine  upon  the  printing  frame  ;  and  the  time  in  that  case 
will  be  four  or  five  seconds  in  summer,  and  about  double 
that  time  in  winter.  But  with  a  good  negative  which  is 
normal  in  colour  and  clear  in  the  shadows,  we  shall  do  very 
much  better  by  exposing  to  diffused  light,  that  is  to  say, 
such  light  as  we  get  reflected  from  the  sky  on  the  shady  side 
of  a  house.  In  this  case  the  exposure  will  be  prolonged  on 
a  bright  day  to  four  or  five  minutes,  whilst  on  a  dull  day 
the  time  required  may  be  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  minutes. 
But,  of  course,  as  in  most  photographic  operations,  this 
question  of  exposure,  upon  which  so  much  of  the  success 
depends,  is  very  much  a  matter  of  experience.  It  is  certain, 
however,  that  if  the  plates  be  not  freshly  prepared — for 
instance,  about  two  or  three  days  old — the  exposure  must  be 
very  much  prolonged,  and  after  all,  as  we  have  already 
intimated,  old  albumen,  or  old  plates,  are  most  uncertain  in 
the  results  which  they  will  afford. 

After  exposure  we  may  immediately  proceed  to  develop- 
ment, which,  as  I  have  already  stated,  is  more  mechanical 
in  its  nature  than  chemical.  The  plate  is  removed  from  the 
printing  frame,  and  under  yellow  light  is  placed  in  a  deep 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


51 


and  large  bowl  or  basin  f  ull  of  clean  water.  In  about  two 
or  three  minutes  the  soluble  part,  that  is  the  part  of  the 
albumen  film  which  has  been  protected  by  the  dark  parts  of 
the  negative,  will  dissolve.  The  operation  is  automatic,  and 
follows  a  regular  course,  and  in  order  to  insure  this  regu- 
larity, it  will  be  as  well,  during  the  next  two  or  three 
minutes,  to  change  the  water  at  least  twice,  taking  good 
care  that  no  force  of  water  is  applied  to  the  surface  of  the 
plate,  for  the  image,  which  is  gradually  forming,  is,  as  yet,  of 
a  very  tender  character.  We  cannot,  as  in  ordinary  develop- 
ment, watch  the  progress  of  the  work,  although  we  may  be 
able  to  see  that  a  change  is  gradually  occurring  on  the 
surface,  by  inclining  the  bowl  at  an  angle  so  as  to  view  the 
glass  by  reflected  light.  But  presently,  on  the  application 
of  the  aniline  dye,  it  will  speedily  be  seen  whether  the  fore- 
going operations  have  been  carried  out  as  they  should  have 
been. 

If  the  glass  is  allowed  to  dry  thoroughly  after  exposure, 
it  will  be  found  that  the  colour  will  hardly  penetrate  it  at 
all,  and  the  picture  will  have  but  little  density ;  there- 
fore the  colouring  operation  should  take  place  whilst  the 
film  is  yet  moist,  and  it  is  actually  ready  for  treatment 
directly  it  leaves  the  bowl  of  water,  but  it  should  be  allowed 
to  drain  for  a  few  seconds,  so  that  the  surplus  water  may  be 
carried  off.  The  dye  may  then  be  applied  to  it,  by  pouring 
it  over  the  film  whilst  the  glass  is  held  by  one  corner,  after 
which  the  plate  must  be  kept  horizontal  for  about  half  a 
minute  or  so,  in  order  to  give  time  for  the  dye  to  penetrate 
into  the  albumen  coating.  After  this,  the  surplus  dye' may 
be  drained  away,  and  the  plate  may  be  washed.  This 

;  1 


52 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


washing  can  take  place  in  another  bowl  of  water,  and  in 
order  to  make  it  thorough,  the  hand  may  be  employed  to 
gently  lave  the  surface  of  the  plate.  The  colour  acts  upon 
the  albumen,  mechanically,  and  hardens  it,  so  that  after 
this  application  the  film  will  bear  far  rougher  treatment 
than  before.  If  the  image  seems  to  be  at  all  veiled,  this 
veiling,  or  surface  fog,  will  very  quickly  give  way  to  con- 
tinued washing  ;  and  the  best  plan  to  pursue  is  to  place  the 
glass,  film  side  up,  in  a  dish  of  water,  so  that  at  least  half 
an  inch  of  the  liquid  covers  it,  and  then  to  turn  a  stream 
of  water  from  a  rose  upon  it.  This  will  generally  clear  the 
image,  but  the  action  must  not  be  carried  too  far,  or  loss  of 
density  will  ensue. 

After  this  last  washing,  the  film  must  be  dried  spon- 
taneously, and  then  it  only  remains  to  varnish  it  to  com- 
plete the  lantern  picture.  But  a  little  care  is  necessary  in 
this  concluding  operation.  The  varnish  must  not  be  the 
ordinary  spirit  varnish,  which  is  commonly  used  in  photo- 
graphy for  the  protection  of  gelatine  films ;  for  the  spirit  i/i 
such  a  varnish  would  react  upon  the  colour,  and  would  cause 
it  to  spread  over  the  clear  parts  of  the  picture,  and  utterly 
ruin  the  effect.  The  varnish  should  be  one  in  which  some 
other  solvent  than  spirit  has  been  employed.  Such  var- 
nishes are  so  easily  procurable  that  I  need  not  further 
dwell  upon  this  part  of  the  subject. 

The  dyes  employed  may  be  almost  any  of  the  aniline 
family,  but  whichever  be  chosen  it  must  be  dissolved  in 
alcohol,  so  as  to  form  a  saturated  solution,  that  is  to  say, 
the  talcohol  must  be  caused  to  take  up  as  much  as  it 
will.    The   best   way  to   gain  this   end  is  to   put  the 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


powdered  dye  in  a  small  phial,  pour  the  alcohol  upon  it, 
and  shake  it  up  at  frequent  intervals ;  if  the  whole 
of  the  dye  is  taken  up  by  the  solvent,  add  more  of  the 
powder,  until  a  residue  which  refuses  to  dissolve  is  found 
to  remain  at  the  bottom  of  the  bottle.  Before  use,  the 
solution  of  colour  so  prepared  should  be  filtered  through 
porous  paper. 

There  are  a  great  many  subjects  for  which  this  process 
will  be  found  of  use.  A  blue  dye  may  be  chosen  for  pictures, 
which  may  be  thus  made  to  represent  moonlight  effects  ;  in 
like  manner,  an  orange  dye  can  be  used  for  photographs 
having  good  cloud  effects,  so  as  to  give  the  idea  of  sunset. 
But  the  process  will  be  particularly  valuable  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  astronomical  slides,  either  from  natural  photo 
graphs  or  from  prepared  designs.  In  a  negative,  for 
instance,  which  has  been  taken  by  means  of  a  telescope,  and 
which  consists  of  a  portion  of  one  of  the  constellations,  the 
various  stars  will  be  described  as  little  black  points 
of  light.  Such  a  negative,  if  printed  by  means  of  one  of 
these  albumen  plates,  and  afterwards  dyed  with  a  suitable 
blue,  will  give  the  effect  of  the  natural  firmament,  while  the 
stars  themselves  will  be  represented  by  absolutely  clear  glass. 
We  might  say  the  same  of  the  photograph  of  a  nebula,  of  a 
comet,  or  even  of  a  flash  of  lightning.  There  are  many 
other  ways  in  which  the  process  will  be  found  very  valuable 
in  the  production  of  lantern  transparencies. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LANTERN  SLIDES    BY  REDUCTION    FROM  LARGER  NEGATIVES — 
CONDENSERS — WATER  LENSES,  ETC. 

MOST  convenient  apparatus  for  reducing 
pictures  to  lantern  size  from  larger  nega- 
tives was  recently  brought  out  by  Messrs. 
Marion,  and  is  shown  at  fig.  19,  and  as  it 
has  the  merit  of  cheapness  as  well  as  simpli- 
city, it  is  likely  to  come  into  extensive  use.  It  consists  of  a 
box  containing  a  central  partition,  to  which  is  fixed  a  lens. 
At  one  end  of  the  box — that  marked  1ST  in  my  diagram — 
is  a  recess,  in  which  is  held  the  negative  to  be  copied,  whilst 
at  the  other  end  (P)  is  a  rebate  in  which  is  held  the  lantern 
plate.  The  lens  is  so  fixed  that  the  negative  and  lantern 
plate  will  be  in  the  right  position  with  regard  to  each 
other  and  with  regard  to  the  focus  of  the  lens,  so  that  all 
the  operator  has  to  do  is  to  put  them  in  their  places  and 
adjust  the  cap  (C)  over  the  plate,  while  he  carries  the 
apparatus  bodily  towards  a  window,  or  some  source  of 
artificial  light,  as  the  case  may  be. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  without  some  such 
apparatus  as  this  the  business  of  reducing  a  negative  is  a 
troublesome  one,  for  it  is  an  out-of-the-way  operation.  But 
with  this  contrivance  it  involves  no  more  trouble  than 


EVENING  WORK. 


55 


putting  a  negative  and  plate  in  a  frame  for  printing  by 
contact.  The  outer  grooves  shown  at  the  negative  end  of 
the  box  are  for  the  insertion  of  a  piece  of  ground  glass,  in 
order  to  diffuse  the  light  when  a  lamp  is  used  as  the  luminant. 

This  instrument  is  at  present  made  in  three  sizes  

half -plate,  whole-plate,  and  12  by  10 — the  latter  having 
carriers,  so  that  it  can  be  used  for  any  smaller  sized  nega- 
tive. All  these  are  so  arranged  that  they  reduce  the  image 
to  lantern  size.  But  I  think  that  the  makers  would  do  well 
bo  issue  a  similar  apparatus  of  quarter-plate  size.    I  have 


Fig.  19. 


had  such  a  piece  of  apparatus,  differing  only  in  details,  for 
my  own  use  for  a  long  time,  and  I  have  found  it  in  many 
ways  a  valuable  help  in  lantern-slide  making.  The  lens  is 
fixed,  and  the  length  of  the  box  on  either  side  is  just  double 
its  focal  length.  This  arrangement  permits  one  to  re- 
produce a  picture  the  exact  size  of  the  negative  employed. 
It  was  doubtless  felt  by  the  makers  of  the  apparatus 
figured  that  there  was  no  necessity  for  issuing  one  of 
quarter-plate  size,  because  it  is  almost  universally  the 
custom  to  print  slides  from  such  small  negatives  by  contact 
in  a  printing  frame.  This  is  true,  but  where  I  find  the 
arrangement  so  useful  is  when  I  want  to  produce  a  slide  by 


56 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


the  wet  process — when  actual  contact  is  out  of  the  question 
— and  one  must  separate  the  wet  plate  from  the  negative 
by  strips  of  thin  card.  This  is  always  a  risky  operation, 
for  the  nitrate  of  silver  may,  in  spite  of  all  care,  get  to  the 
surface  of  the  negative  and  ruin  it.  Again,  I  find  the 
instrument  valuable  in  working  the  collodio-bromide  pro- 
cess, where,  although  the  film  is  dry,  it  is  so  extremely 
tender  that  abrasion  often  occurs  in  bringing  it  into  contact 
with  the  negative. 

It  may  be  affirmed  without  question,  that  a  slide  is  some- 
what sharper  if  taken  by  a  lens,  rather  than  by  contact, 
but  the  difference  can  only  be  detected  by  very  careful 
examination.  When  I  have  a  lantern  slide  to  make  of  a 
diagram  which  consists  of  very  fine  lines,  I  prefer  to  take 
it  by  means  of  a  lens,  so  that  I  may  obtain  the  greatest 
possible  sharpness ;  but  for  ordinary  work,  contact  gives 
sufficient  exactitude.  I  have  before  me,  as  I  write,  for 
instance,  a  lantern  slide  which  has  been  printed  by  the 
contact  method.  The  subject  is  a  couple  of  ships  alongside 
a  quay,  and  the  picture  takes  in  the  whole  of  the  rigging 
of  the  two  vessels.  Among  the  network  of  ropes  are  some 
which  appear  on  the  glass  to  be  as  fine  as  a  spider's  web,  and 
it  would  be  thought  that  no  method  of  printing  could  confer 
upon  them  greater  accuracy  and  sharpness.  But  to  secure 
this  result  certain  precautions  are  necessary.  The  glass 
must  be  flat,  and  the  light  during  exposure  must  not  be 
allowed  to  act  laterally.  A  contact-printed  slide  should 
therefore  be  held  in  its  printing  frame  some  feet  away  from 
the  source  of  light ;  and  even  during  exposure  to  diffused 
daylight  the  careful  operator  will,  by  preference,  expose  the 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


57 


frame  at  some  distance  from,  and  presented  towards  a 
window,  employing  what,  for  all  practical  purposes,  are 
parallel  rays. 

Another  valuable  contrivance  for  reducing  pictures  to 
lantern  size  has  been  produced  by  Messrs.  Shew,  and  this 
has  an  advantage  in  forming  an  attachment  to  any  de- 
scription of  camera.    For  this  purpose  the  ordinary  front  of 


the  camera  is  removed  from  its  grooves,  and  the  attachment 
put  in  its  place,  as  seen  in  fig.  20.  This  apparatus  consists 
in  reality  of  an  extra  camera,  formed  of  two  boxes,  one 
sliding  within  the  other,  as  a  help  to  focussing.  The  outer 
end  of  this  box  has  a  groove  to  hold  the  sensitive  plate  in 
an  ordinary  dark-slide,  while  the  negative  to  be  copied  is 
held  at  the  back  end  of  the  large  camera.  A  tilting  board, 
which  can  be  screwed  to  any  tripod  stand,  allows  the  com- 
plete apparatus  to  be  turned  skyward  during  exposure. 


Fig.  20. 


58 


EVENING  WORK  FOE 


There  are  two  grooves  at  the  larger  end  of  the  apparatus, 
one  to  hold  the  large  negative,  and  the  outer  one  for  a  sheet 
of  ground  glass  to  diffuse  the  light.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  this  apparatus,  used  the  reverse  way,  can  be  employed 
for  enlarging  from  a  small  negative. 

Messrs.  Perken,  Son,  and  Rayment  have  called  my 
attention  to  the  model  of  a  camera  which  they  are  about  to 
issue,  which  will  be  of  very  great  service  to  the  slide  pro- 
ducer, for  whose  delectation  it  is,  indeed,  intended.  It  is 
shown  at  fig  21.  It  consists  of  a  base-board,  upon  which 
travels  the  central  frame  (a)  by  rack  and  pinion  motion. 
Upon  each  side  of  this  frame — which  carries  within  it  a 
partition  to  which  is  screwed  the  lens — is  a  bellows  body 
terminating  at  one  end  in  a  focussing  screen,  and  at  the  other 
end  in  grooves  for  the  reception  of  a  dark  slide.  It  is 
evident  that  with  such  a  camera  as  this,  reduction,  or  repro- 
duction the  same  size,  can  readily  be  carried  out.  The 
negative  to  be  copied  is  placed  in  a  dark  slide,  the  central 
partition  of  which  has  been  removed,  so  that  light  from  any 
suitable  source  may  penetrate  it.  At  the  other  end  of  the 
instrument  is  placed  another  dark-slide,  holding  the  lantern 
plate.  Focussing,  and  reduction  to  any  exact  size,  can  be 
carried  out  very  perfectly  and  conveniently  with  such  an 
apparatus  as  this,  which  promises  to  come  into  extensive  use. 

But,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to 
keep  in  actual  darkness  the  space  between  the  camera  and 
the  negative  to  be  copied,  as  the  presence  of  this  bellows 
arrangement  on  both  sides  of  the  lens  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate. Both  negative  and  plate  must  be  parallel  with  one 
another,  and  this  is  best  brought  about  by  placing  an  ordinary 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


59 


camera  on  a  base-board  or  table  furnished  with  rails  between 
which  it  can  slide,  and  taking  care  that  the  negative  is 
strictly  perpendicular  to,  as  well  as  rectangular  with,  those 
rails.  Under  such  conditions  it  is  quite  sufficient  to  fit  the 
negative  into  a  space  cut  in  the  bottom  of  a  box,  the  box 
itself  lying  on  its  side  with  its  open  end  towards  the  lens. 
We  may  also  modify  the  arrangement  by  using  two 
cameras,  one  to  hold  the  negative,  but  having  its  lens  and 
front  removed,  and  the  other  pointing  its  lens  within  that 
front  opening. 

It  may  now  be  useful  to  review  the  different  methods  by 


Fig.  21. 


which  a  negative  may  be  illuminated  for  the  purpose  of 
lantern-slide  making.  For  obvious  reasons,  we  must  exclude 
daylight  from  consideration.  Our  aim  must  be  to  illuminate 
the  negative  evenly,  so  that  no  part  of  it  receives  more  light 
than  another  part.  This  apparently  simple  proceeding  is 
not  so  easy  as  it  at  first  seems  to  be,  and  in  the  case  of  large 
negatives  presents  many  difficulties.  There  is  no  great 
difficulty  in  illuminating  a  quarter-plate  negative,  which 
can  be  done  with  a  good  paraffin  lamp  or  by  a  batswing 
burner  ;  but  in  either  case  we  shall  not  secure  even  lighting 


60 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


unless  we  interpose  a  sheet  of  ground  glass  between  the 
negative  and  the  light-source.  And  here  let  it  be  observed 
that  this  ground  glass  should  be  fine  in  texture,  and  should 
not  be  so  close  to  the  negative  that  its  grain  is  focussed  with 
it,  or  we  shall  have  the  grain  appearing  in  our  lantern 
slides  and  ruining  the  shadows  of  all  our  pictures.  Care 
must  also  be  taken  that  the  ground  glass  is  at  a  sufficient 
distance  from  the  lamp  to  secure  even  diffusion  of  light. 
What  I  mean  is  this  :  Suppose  we  have  a  paraffin  lamp  to 
work  by,  and  we  place  in  front  of  it  and  at  three  inches 
from  the  flame,  a  sheet  of  ground  glass.  On  observing  the 
effect  from  a  distance  of  six  feet,  we  notice  that  the  flame 
makes  a  kind  of  central  flare  spot,  and  that  the  edges  of 
the  glass  are  much  darker.  By  moving  the  ground  glass 
screen  further  away  from  the  lamp,  this  effect  becomes 
reduced,  until  a  position  is  reached  where  the  whole  of  the 
glass  appears  to  be  equally  illuminated.  It  is  at  this  point 
that  the  ground  glass  diffusing  screen  should  be  placed 
when  we  require  its  help  in  reducing  from  a  negative,  and 
the  remark  applies  to  the  various  forms  of  apparatus  already 
noticed  in  which  ground  glass  is  employed  to  attain  the 
same  end. 

In  the  case  of  a  large  negative  this  diffusion  point  will  be 
so  far  from  the  light  that  the  exposure  will  be  extremely 
long,  and  it  is  questionable  whether  it  is  worth  while  to 
attempt  reduction  under  such  conditions.  By  daylight  it 
would  be  easy  enough,  for  we  can  then  use  the  sky  itself  as 
our  field  of  illumination,  and  even  if  we  are  hemmed  in 
with  back  walls  and  chimney  pots  so  that  no  sky  is  avail- 
able, we  can  reflect  its  light  through  the  negative  by  using  a 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


61 


piece  of  white  cardboard  sloped  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees- 
But  if  we  try  the  same  plan  with  lamp  light,  the  exposure 
will  be  terribly  long.    I  have  succeeded  in  working  at  night 
from  such  negatives,  but  the  preparations  have  been  some- 
what too  elaborate  for  casual  workers,  including  as  they  did 
the  mounting  of  two  powerful  lime  jets  with  the  necessary 
connections  to  turn  them  off  and  on  at  the  same  time.  Two 
lights  are  necessary,  because  if  the  cardboard  screen  is  illu- 
minated from  one  side  only,  that  side  of   the  picture  is 
double  the  density  of  the  side  furthest  away  from  the  light, 
and  there  is  a  strongly  marked  gradation  from  one  to  the 
other.    The  same  effect  is  noticeable  in  copying  pictures  at 
night.    Capital  copies  can  be  made  by  gas  or  paraffin,  but 
two  lamps  or  burners  should  always  be  used.    A  friend  of 
mine  does  a  great  deal  of  copying  work  at  night,  and  I  one 
day  asked  him  what  the  average  exposure  was  with  the  two 
gas  jets  he  was  using.    He  replied  that  he  did  not  know, 
but  that  each  exposure  just  gave  him  time  to  sit  down  at  the 
piano  in  the  next  room  and  play  one  of  Mendelssohn's  Lieder 
ohne  Worte.    This  is  certainly  a  novel  method  of  measuring 
photographic  time,  and  one  which  would  horrify  the  com- 
pilers of  exposure  tables,  but  all  the  same  this  conjunction  of 
two  arts  is  pleasant  to  see. 

A  very  great  saving  of  time  is  secured  by  the  use  of  a  con- 
densing lens  between  the  light-source  and  the  negative. 
These  lenses  can  now  bo  purchased  at  a  much  cheaper  rate 
than  heretofore,  because  they  are  in  so  much  request  for 
enlarging  operations,  and  demand  has  of  course  cheapened 
the  supply.  With  such  a  lens,  and  a  good  gas  flame,  or 
better  still,  the  three  or  four  wick  lamp  from  an  oil  lantern, 


62 


EVENING  W0IIK  FOR 


the  business  of  producing  lantern  slides  from  larger  nega- 
tives can  be  conducted  with  convenience  and  dispatch .  The  com- 
pound condenser  which  I  use  is  of  the  common  form,  consist- 
ing of  two  plano-convex  lenses  mounted  together  in  one  cell, 
with  their  curved  surfaces  almost  touching  one  another. 
The  condenser  is  conveniently  set  in  a  square  wooden  frame, 
so  that  it  can  be  readily  moved  into  any  position  required. 
The  size  of  the  condensing  lens  should  agree  in  diameter 
with  the  diagonal  of  the  negative  which  it  has  to  illuminate. 
A  quarter  plate,  for  instance,  measures  between  its  extreme 
corners,  about  five  and  a  half  inches.  The  proper  sized 
condenser  to  cover  it  is  obviously  one  of  six  inches  in 
diameter. 

Many  years  ago  large  vessels  of  lenticular  form  made  of 
white  glass  were  sold,  chiefly  for  the  use  of  chemists,  who 
filled  them  full  of  different  fluids  so  as  to  turn  them  into 
coloured  lenses.  Lenses  of  this  kind  were  generally  fitted 
into  outside  lamps,  and  it  was  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  a 
bare  space  above  the  coloured  fluid  owing  to  evaporation  of 
the  contents  of  the  vessel.  The  contrivance  was  simply  a 
lenticular  bottle  with  a  little  neck  at  the  top,  through  which 
it  could  be  filled  or  emptied.  I  cannot  ascertain  whether 
such  bottles  are  now  made,  and  few  persons  seem  to  remem- 
ber them.  About  ten  years  ago  too  there  were  brought 
forward  water  lenses  of  the  same  character  which  were 
advocated  for  the  use  of  shops.  These  were  employed  with 
a  bat's-wing  burner  behind  them,  and  answered  the  same 
purpose  of  attraction  as  a  light  fitted  with  a  concave  reflec- 
tor. Now  it  has  occurred  to  me  that  if  such  contrivances 
were  still  obtainable  they  would  be  largely  used  by  amateur 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


63 


photographers,  both  for  enlarging  purposes  and  also  for 
illuminating  negatives  for  reduction.  But  to  come  into 
common  use  they  must  present  the  advantage  of  being  far 
cheaper  than  the  usual  condensers  of  glass. 

Experiments  with  hollow  lenses  filled  with  coloured 
glycerine,  which  are  intended  for  signalling  purposes,  have 
recently  been  going  forward  under  Government  supervision. 
These  lenses  are  the  invention  of  an  officer,  and,  thinking 
that  they  might  prove  useful  in  various  photographic  opera- 
tions, I  called  on  the  makers  and  inspected  them,  only  to 
find  that  they  were  quite  useless  for  such  purposes — 
with  the  exception  that  one  filled  with  glycerine  which  has 
been  stained  red  would  form  a  brilliant  light  for  the  dark- 
room. The  reason  of  their  unsuitability  for  other  purposes 
is  that  they  are  not  of  the  usual  lens  form,  but  are  shaped 
like  a  ship's  side  light,  so  that  the  light  from  them  may 
cover  an  angle  of  90  degs.  This  shape  permits  the  two 
glasses  of  which  they  are  composed  to  be  cemented  into  a 
metal  frame,  and  the  whole  contrivance  is  as  easily  put 
together  as  a  small  table  aquarium. 

Alt'  ough  I  am  not  in  a  position  to  say  whether  or  not 
water  lenses  have  been  employed  for  photographic  purposes, 
it  is  certain  that  they  have  been  used  in  other  branches  of 
science.  In  the  year  1872  Dr.  E.  M.  Fergusson  brought 
before  one  of  the  Scottish  scientific  societies  a  simple  appa- 
ratus which  he  had  designed  for  exhibiting  wave  motion, 
the  principal  part  of  which  comprised  a  hollow  lens  filled 
with  liquid.  This  apparatus  was  described  and  figured  in 
the  Quarterly  Journal  of  Science  for  April  of  the  same  year, 
and  I  have  thought  it  worth  while  to  reproduce  the  drawing, 


64 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


so  that  those  interested  in  the  matter  may  be  able  to  see 
what  has  already  been  done  (fig.  22).  It  will  be  noticed  that 
Dr.  Fergusson's  apparatus  is  supported  by  an  ordinary 
chemical  retort-stand,  a  contrivance  which  ought  to  be  pos- 
sessed by  every  photographer,  so  useful  is  it  in  all  sorts  of 
( perations  that  come  within  his  ken. 
In  the  present  case  the  stand  is 
furnished  with  five  attachments, 
which  are  clamped  to  the  main  stem 
in  the  usual  way,  and  which  it  will 
be  convenient  to  letter  from  the 
bottom  upwards,  A,  B,  C,  D,  and  E. 
A  is  a  mirror  which  turns  the  lumin- 
ous ray  from  the  light  source — in 
this  case  a  lime  jet — from  the  hori- 
zontal to  the  vertical  position,  so  that 
it  may  traverse  and  be  condensed  by 
the  liquid  lens  B.  This  lens,  we 
learn,  was  made  by  cutting  the  top 
from  a  well-formed  glass  shade,  and 
measured  eight  inches  in  diameter. 
Its  actual  diameter  must,  however, 
be  measured  at  the  surface  of  the 
contained  liquid,  which  was  found 
I  fancy  that  glasses  like  enlarged 
which  are  made  to  cover  clock 
faces,  would  be  the  better  article  to  get  for  this  purpose. 
In  the  case  before  us  the  containing  vessel  is  actually 
deeper  than  would  be  required  for  most  purposes,  for 
here  the  liquid  had  to  be  disturbed  in  order  to  induce 
wave  motion.    This  was  brought  about  by  means  of  the  bent 


Fig.  22. 

to  be  six  inches, 
watch  glasses. 


and 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


G5 


thistle-headed  tube  C,  which,  by  means  of  a  tap  and  finely 
pointed  exit  tube,  could  be  made  to  emit  drops  slowly  or 
quickly.  The  liquid  employed  was  spirit,  on  account  of  its 
greater  limpidity,  but  water  would  be  used  for  ordinary 
optical  work.  Next  above  this  liquid  lens  is  an  ordinary 
lantern  objective  or  photographic  lens,  and  above  this  again 
we  have  another  sloping  mirror  to 
once  more  turn  the  vertical  ray  to 
the  horizontal  direction,  so  that  the 
image  formed  by  the  objective  lens 
may  be  projected  upon  a  screen.  A 
still  more  simple  arrangement,  under 
the  title  of  "  water  lantern,"  is  described 
in  Mayer  s  little  book  on  the  phenomena 
of  sound.  Of  this  I  give  a  sectional 
drawing  in  fig.  23,  from  which  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  apparatus  takes  the 
form  of  a  box  on  end,  but  open  at  one 
side  for  the  introduction  of  the  light 
rays,  from  whatever  source  they  may 
be  obtained.  These  rays  are  received 
by  the  sloping  mirror  M1,  and  are 
reflected  by  it  towards  the  condensing 
water  lens  P.  Upon  the  surface  of 
the  water  may  be  laid  a  plate  of  thin  glass,  which  will 
serve  both  as  a  defence  against  dust,  and  also  as  a  con- 
venient transparent  table  upon  which  slides  and  other 
objects  for  projection  can  be  laid.  Above  this  there  is  a 
smaller  water  lens  to  act  as  an  objective,  which  is  held  in  a 
moveable  shelf,  the  height  of  which  can  be  carefully  ad- 
justed by  the  screw  nut  S.    To  crown  all,  there  is  a  second 


Fig.  23. 


66 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


mirror  M,  swung  like  a  toilet  glass  between  two  uprights, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  bring  the  light  rays  once  more  to  the 
horizontal  position  for  projection  upon  a  screen. 

It  is  evident  that  in  both  these  devices  much  light  must 
be  lost  by  reflection.  This  might  be  obviated  in  fig.  23  by 
dispensing  with  the  lower  mirror,  and  putting  in  its  place  a 
lime-jet  in  such  a  position  that  the  luminous  side  of  the  lime 
would  be  presented  towards  the  lens.  There  would  be  no 
great  difficulty  in  this,  for  a  lime- jet  will  burn  well  in  any 
position  in  which  it  may  be  held.  The  heat  from  it  rising 
upwards,  would  tend  to  cover  the  lens  with  moisture,  but 
this  could  be  obviated  in  the  description  of  lens  under  con- 
sideration by  filling  it  with  warm  water  instead  of  with 
cold. 

The  glass  cover  to  the  lens  at  once  suggests  the  con- 
struction of  one  which  shall  remain  permanently  closed,  and 
which  shall  be  available  in  the  horizontal  or  vertical  posi- 
tion. The  construction  of  a  compound  condenser,  consisting 
of  two  plano-convex  lenses  of  large  size,  should  not  present 
any  insuperable  difficulties.  In  constructing  one  element 
of  such  a  condenser  the  first  thing  would  be  to  obtain  a 
concave  glass,  and  a  flat  glass  of  exactly  the  same  size. 
These  should  be  ground  with  emery  and  water  for  half  an 
inch  on  both  sides  round  their  edges.  The  next  thing 
would  be  to  procure  a  metal  annular  frame  of  this  section  JL, 
and  to  carefully  putty  them  in  with  a  mixture  of  white  and 
red  lead  in  oil,  leaving  a  small  hole  in  one  of  the  glasses, 
at  the  extreme  edge,  through  which  the  lens  could  be  filled 
with  water  after  the  cement  had  hardened.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  unless  such  a  lens  were  quite  ful]  of 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS 


67 


liquid  it  could  not  be  used  in  the  horizontal  position,  for 
any  air  bubble  that  remained  would  naturally  find  its  way 
to  the  highest  point,  and  would  make  its  presence  evident 
upon  the  screen. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  lime-light  will  doubtless 
use  it  for  this  work  in  preference  to  any  other  illuminant,  and 
the  gain  in  time  will  of  course  be  considerable.  With  a 
compound  condenser  such  as  I  use,  a  sheet  of  ground  glass  as  a 
further  aid  in  diffusing  the  light  over  the  negative,  and  a 
good  lime  jet,  the  work  becomes  quite  luxurious.  The  light 
given  is  constant,  and  as  in  these  days  of  amateur  excellence 
one  man's  negatives  are  as  alike  in  density  as  peas  in  a  pod, 
little  variation  in  exposure  is  necessary.  The  condenser 
should  have  in  front  of  it  a  grooved  frame  into  which 
one  negative  after  another  can  be  dropped,  while  it  yields 
its  image  to  the  lantern  plate.  By  screening  one  part  of 
the  room,  and  taking  the  precaution  to  use  covered  dishes, 
one  plate  may  be  developed  while  another  is  being  exposed, 
the  two  operations  going  on  simultaneously. 

A  word  as  to  the  best  form  of  screen  to  employ  for 
lantern  projection  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

In  cases  where  the  lantern  is  being  constantly  used, 
whether  for  trying  slides  in  the  amateur's  workroom  or  for 
demonstration  in  lecture  theatres  and  schools,  it  is  of 
importance  that  a  suitable  screen  or  sheet  should  be  avail- 
able at  a  moment's  notice.  This  should  be  made  of  opaque 
material,  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  all  light  which 
filters  through  such  a  screen  is  lost,  and  the  pictures  suffer 
proportionately.  A  whitewashed  wall  makes  the  finest 
lantern  screen — and  this  is  provided  in  some  few  lecture 


68 


EVENING  WORK. 


theatres — the  unsightly  patch  of  whiteness  being  hidden, 
when  not  in  use,  by  curtains.  But  a  portable  screen  which 
is  quite  as  effective  has  recently  been  put  on  the  market  by 
Messrs.  Mason  and  Payne,  the  map  publishers,  of  Cornhill. 
This  is  made  of  strong  cloth,  faced  on  each  side  with  paper, 
so  that  it  may  be  quite  opaque  to  the  rays  from  the  lantern. 
The  cloth  is  stretched,  shrunk,  and  mounted  with  its  paper 
facing,  by  experienced  hands,  so  that  the  surface  is  as  flat  as 
a  whitewashed  wall,  and  far  whiter,  for  the  pigment  which 
is  subsequently  applied  to  its  front  surface  so  as  to  give  it  a 
finish,  is  the  finest  oxide  of  zinc,  a  material  which  does  not 
like  flake- w7hite,  darken  with  time.  These  screens  are 
fitted  with  roller  and  lath,  so  that  when  not  in  use  they  are 
rolled  up  out  of  sight  like  a  window  blind.  They  are  made 
in  all  sizes,  the  largest  ever  made  being  perhaps  that 
which  was  used  for  my  photographic  lectures  in  the 
theatre  at  the  Crystal  Palace.  This  measured  thirty  feet 
square,  and  contained,  therefore,  100  square  yards  of 
material.  About  forty  pounds  of  zinc  oxide  was  used  to 
give  it  its  snowy  coat  of  white,  and  the  pictures  projected 
upon  it  wrere  consequently  of  extreme  brightness. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


LANTERN  SLIDES  ON  GELATINE  PLATES. 

OJSTG  after  the  gelatine  process  had  alnost 
displaced  wet  plates  for  negative  work,  there 
were  many  accomplished  photographers  who 
expressed  the  opinion  with  great  vehemence 
that  although  the  new  system  had  placed  a 
fresh  power  in  their  hands,  it  was  quite  unfit  for  producing 
good  lantern  slides.  And  this  notion  is  one  which  seems 
difficult  to  eradicate,  for  it  is  stated  in  quite  recent  books  on 
photography,  that  wet  plates  are  by  far  the  best  for  trans- 
parency work.  It  is  certainly  the  easiest,  and  on  the  whole 
the  best  for  the  commercial  production  of  slides,  but  I  cannot 
agree  that  gelatine  must  take  a  back  place.  On  the  contrary, 
some  of  the  first  examples  of  lantern  slides  which  1  have 
ever  seen  have  been  made  on  gelatine  plates.  And  the 
dealers  have  at  last  been  converted,  for  within  the  past  year 
"  lantern  plates  "  have  been  introduced  by  most  manufac- 
turers, and  are  largely  used  by  amateurs. 

These  plates  may  be  roughly  divided  into  two  classes, 
namely,  chloride  plates  and  bromide  plates,  and  we  will  now 
see  what  advantage  each  kind  offers  to  the  worker.    I  my- 


70 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


self  have  a  weakness  for  the  first  named,  and  believe  that  it' 
their  exposure  and  development  be  carefully  attended  to, 
they  will  give  the  finest  possible  results,  while  at  the  same 
time  they  afford  a  variety  of  tones  unattainable  by  any  other 
process.  The  chloride  plate  has,  too,  one  distinct  and  enor- 
mous advantage  in  the  amount  of  light  which  it  will  stand 
during  development,  without  any  fear  of  fogging.  When 
we  remember  that  the  beauty  of  a  transparency  so  much 
depends  upon  stopping  the  developing  action  as  soon  as  the 
required  amount  of  density  is  apparent,  we  must  admit  that 
a  brilliant  light  under  which  the  least  change  can  be  readily 
noted  without  any  straining  of  the  eyes  is  one  of  the  first 
elements  of  success.  A  brilliant  paraffin  lamp  with  a  single 
sheet  of  thin  yellow  paper  pinned  round  its  globe,  is  per- 
fectly safe  for  a  chloride  plate,  and  will  at  the  same  time 
illuminate  the  whole  of  the  so-called  dark  room.  Another 
advantage  which  may  be  credited  to  the  chloride  plate  is  its 
quickness  under  development,  it  being  quite  possible  to  take 
several  dozen  pictures  in  the  course  of  a  couple  of  hours, 
provided,  of  course,  that  the  negatives  be  ready  at  hand, 
and  that  everything  is  in  due  order.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  plates  are  so  insensitive  to  light  that  they  cannot  be 
used  for  reduction  in  the  camera,  and  must  be  printed  by 
contact.  The  exposure  to  gas  light  is  far  too  protracted  for 
quick  work,  and  if  the  negatives  are  of  the  old-fashioned 
yellow  kind,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  work  by  gas  even 
with  very  long  exposures.  Daylight  is  the  most  certain 
light  to  which  to  expose  such  plates,  the  average  exposure 
being  about  three  seconds.  I  am  aware  that  many  recom- 
mend the  use  of  magnesium  wire,  but  this  light  is  uncertain, 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


71 


difficult  to  control,  and  the  fumes  given  off  by  the  burning 
metal  are  certainly  objectionable,  if  not  injurious.  So  I 
may  sum  up  the  matter  by  saying  that  I  prefer  chloride 
plates  for  lantern  slides,  provided  the  operator  has  the 
chance  of  making  his  exposures  in  daylight.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  this  proviso  will  place  the  process  out  of  court 
for  the  many  whose  only  leisure  time  is  in  the  evening ;  and 
this  circumstance,  together  with  the  unsuitability  of  the 
chloride  plate  to  reduction  work  in  the  camera,  has  stimu- 
lated manufacturers  in  offering  a  bromide  plate  which  offers 
no  such  objections. 

I  have  tried,  I  think,  all  the  bromide  lantern  plates 
which  are  offered  for  sale,  and  am  pleased  to  say  that  all 
are  good.  Some  I  naturally  prefer  to  others  ;  but  it  would 
be  invidious  to  name  any  one  brand  in  particular,  for  it  is 
quite  possible  that  I  have  not  adopted  in  all  cases  the  most 
suitable  developer  for  the  particular  plate  under  examina- 
tion. Whilst  they  are  far  less  rapid  than  the  plates  used 
for  negative  work,  they  require  care  against  undue  access 
of  light  during  treatment,  and  the  dark-room  lamp  must  be 
screened  with  a  red,  not  a  yellow  medium.  This  darkening 
of  the  working  light  renders  the  attainment  of  the  proper 
density,  as  already  indicated,  far  more  uncertain  than  in  the 
case  of  chloride  plates,  and  the  beginner,  at  any  rate,  will 
find  that  his  collection  of  ghosts,  as  well  as  overdone 
prints,  will  accumulate  pretty  quickly.  But  the  exposure  to 
gas-light  is  certainly  a  convenience  which  many  will  appre- 
ciate, especially  as  a  great  deal  of  latitude  is  obtainable  by 
the  simple  expedient  of  increasing  or  diminishing  the  dis- 
tance between  the  printing  frame  and  the  lamp.  More- 


EVENING  WORK. 


over,  this  exposure,  lasting,  as  it  does,  for  at  least  twenty 
seconds,  gives  the  operator  every  chance  of  shielding  certain 
portions  of  the  negative,  so  as  to  get  effects  of  distance  and 
atmosphere,  which  will  often  confer  a  charm  even  upon  the 
slide  from  a  poor  flat  negative. 

Should  a  gelatine  positive  on  glass  not  be  dense  enough  to 
give  full  effect  in  the  lantern,  it  is  far  better  to  throw  it 
away  than  attempt  to  intensify  it,  for  it  is  easy  enough  to 
correct  the  fault  in  exposing  another  plate.  But,  on  the 
other  hand,  if  a  mistake  has  been  made  in  the  other  direc- 
tion, and  the  picture,  while  full  of  detail,  is  too  dense  for 
the  light  to  penetrate  through  the  film,  the  fault  can  be 
easily  rectified,  and  if  reasonable  care  be  taken,  a  fine  picture 
will  often  result.  To  reduce  a  dense  picture  (and  this  plan 
is,  of  course,  applicable  to  an  over-dense  negative  as  well), 
mix  a  solution  of  fresh  hypo  of  half  the  usual  strength,  and 
put  it  in  a  small  dish.  A  couple  of  ounces  of  solution  will 
be  quite  sufficient.  Then  in  another  dish  make  a  weak 
solution  of  red  prussiate  of  potash  (ferridcyanide),  say 
10  grs.  to  2  ozs.  of  water.  Allow  the  slide,  which  requires 
reduction,  to  remain  in  the  first  solution  for  a  minute  or 
two,  and  then,  without  washing  it,  transfer  it  to  the  other 
dish.  Watch  it  well,  for  the  action  is  so  rapid  that  over- 
reduction may  ensue.  Remove  quickly,  and  place  the  slide 
under  the  tap.  This  remedy  is  also  useful  for  that  common 
fault,  a  dirty  sky,  owing  to  penetration  of  the  light  through 
a  thin  negative.  In  this  case  paint  over  the  sky  with  the 
dilute  hypo,  and  follow  with  the  prussiate  solution,  using  a 
camel-hair  brush  in  both  cases.  In  little  more  than  a 
minute  the  sky  will  te  effectually  cleared. 


2 


CHAPTER  TX. 


CLOUDS  IN  LANTERN  PICTURES. 

0  one  will  deny  that  a  lantern  picture  is  often 
improved  by  the  addition  of  clouds,  and  if 
these  happily  appear  in  the  one  negative,  so 
much  the  better.  Sometimes  clouds  are  so 
buried  in  the  over-dense  sky  of  the  negative 
that  it  is  a  difficult  matter  to  get  at  them.  Sometimes  local  re- 
duction may  be  advisable,  and  if  the  worker  is  afraid  of  doctor- 
ing his  negative  with  chemicals,  after  he  has  looked  upon 
it  as  finished  and  clone  with,  he  may  with  advantage  adopt 
that  mechanical  mode  of  reduction  which  is  possible  by  rub- 
bing with  old  linen  moistened  with  alcohol.  (This  method  will, 
by  the  way,  often  unearth  the  details  of  a  church  window, 
which  before  had  been  lost  in  halation.)  If,  however,  there 
are  no  clouds  in  the  negative,  and  a  large  expanse  of  white 
is  the  printed  result,  we  must  adopt  other  means  to  remedy 
the  defect,  for  defect  it  is.  In  the  case  of  a  snow  scene,  or, 
indeed,  any  picture  where  there  are  brilliant  high  lights,  the 
sky  can  be  toned  after  printing  by  exposing  it  to  light, 
shielding  the  rest  of  the  picture.  It  can  even  be  clone  after 
partial  deve^pment — the  redevelopment  finishing  the  land- 


74 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


scape  and  toning  the  sky  at  the  same  time.  But  when 
actual  clouds  are  requisite,  a  separate  cloud  negative  must 
be  used.  The  work  is  by  no  means  as  easy  as  it  is  in  the 
case  of  a  silver  print  on  paper,  for  the  reason  that  so  much 
judgment  is  required  during  the  exposure,  first  of  the  land- 
scape, and  then  of  the  sky  negative,  the  actual  results  not 
being  apparent  until  development.  Some  advocate  the 
printing  of  the  sky  on  a  separate  plate,  and  then  making 
that  plate  the  cover  glass  of  the  finished  slide.  But  the 
difficulties  are  increased  by  such  procedure,  for  the  image 
of  the  clouds  is  reversed.  I  believe  that  the  best  plan  to 
adopt  is  as  follows.  First  of  all  select  the  sky  negative  for 
use,  taking  care  that  the  clouds  are  lighted  from  the  proper 
direction.  (To  make  all  safe,  it  is  as  well  to  make  a  trial 
silver  print  from  the  combined  negatives,  in  order  to  see  if 
one  is  really  suited  to  the  other.)  Next  fix  a  3 -inch  mask 
on  the  glass  side  of  each  negative,  so  that  the  lantern  plate 
can  readily  be  removed  from  one  to  the  other,  and  will  be 
in  register  for  both.  Measure  the  height  of  the  horizontal 
line  on  the  landscape  negative,  and  if  it  be,  say,  an  inch  and 
a  half  from  the  bottom  of  the  paper  mask  referred  to, 
make  a  pencil  mark  at  that  height  on  the  mask  which  is 
affixed  to  the  cloud  negative.  Now  give  the  necessary  ex- 
posure to  the  landscape — preferably  by  gaslight,  as  then 
there  is  plenty  of  latitude — and  then  (by  ruby  light)  remove 
the  plate  from  its  frame  and  place  it  in  another  frame,  on 
the  cloud  negative.  Fasten  it  up  securely,  turn  the  frame 
over,  and  note  the  position  of  the  pencil  mark  on  the  mask. 
Now  turn  up  the  gas  once  more,  and  during  exposure  shield 
that  portion  of  the  plate  below  the  pencil  mark  with  a  piece 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


75 


of  card.  Keep  the  card  in  motion  well  above  the  mark  so  as  to 
get  a  graduated  tint,  and  after  due  exposure  turn  down  the 
gas  and  prepare  for  development.  Be  sure  to  have  at  hand 
a  ten  per  cent,  solution  of  bromide,  with  a  camel-hair  brush 
in  it  ready  for  use.  It  may  not  be  wanted,  but  if  it  should 
be,  it  will  be  wanted  badly.  For  instance,  the  sky  may 
soon  show  that  it  has  received  more  than  sufficient  ex 
posure,  while  the  landscape  has  not  had  enough  and  hangs 
back.  In  such  a  case,  rinse  the  sky  portion  of  the  plate, 
and  paint  it  over  with  the  bromide  solution  ;  then  redevelop. 
But  a  little  practice  with  this  method  of  double-printing 
will  render  such  dodges  unnecessary,  for  the  operator  will 
soon  acquire  the  habit  of  exposing  his  plates  to  suit  the  needs 
of  both  negatives.  But  when  all  is  said  and  done,  the  best 
effect  is  to  be  obtained  when  the  one  negative  is  adorned 
with  natural  clouds.  Very  often  in  this  climate  clouds  are 
more  common  than  is  desirable,  especially  as  they  generally 
hold  a  remarkable  quantity  of  rain ;  but  on  the  sunny  days 
vouchsafed  to  us  the  clouds  are  welcome,  from  an  artistic 
point  of  view,  at  any  rate.  In  lately  looking  over  a  set  of 
instantaneous  seascapes  taken  last  autumn  on  the  south 
coast,  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  a  cloudless  sky  was  the 
exception  rather  than  the  rule.  One  more  word.  Do  not 
lose  the  opportunity  of  securing  cloud  negatives,  for  they 
can  be  obtained  on  days  when  other  photographic  work  is 
next  to  impossible.  At  the  same  time,  make  a  note  by 
compass  of  the  direction  in  which  the  camera  is  pointed, 
and  the  hour  at  which  the  negative  is  taken.  Similar  notes 
regarding  landscape  negatives  will  enable  the  operator  to 
wed  any  two  without  a  sacrifice  of  truth.     Thus,  sup- 


76 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


posing,  for  the  sake  of  illustration,  we  have  a  picture  of 
Shakespeare's  Cliff,  taken  at  5  p.m.,  in  August,  from  the 
Admiralty  Pier,  of  which  it  is  due  west.  A  westerly  sky 
negative  taken  in  the  same  month,  at  the  same  time,  can 
be  associated  with  it  without  hesitation.  The  question  of 
altitude  of  clouds  need  not  trouble  us  if  the  camera  be 
always  kept  level,  and  the  horizontal  line  be  made  to  regis- 
ter in  both  landscape  and  cloud  negatives,  as  I  have  already 
pointed  out. 

Most  instantaneous  shutters  are  so  constructed  that  they 
will  give  a  much  shorter  exposure  to  the  sky  than  to  the 
landscape  beneath,  and  if  clouds  be  present  they  will  be 
reproduced  in  the  negative  in  a  printable  form.  A  shutter 
for  the  express  purpose  of  producing  pictures  adorned  with 
natural  clouds  was  invented  some  time  back  by  Mr.  Leisk, 
and  is  sold,  I  believe,  by  Messrs.  Marion.  But  I  fancy  that 
it  was  adapted  more  for  seascape,  where  there  is  an  un- 
broken horizontal  line,  than  for  more  general  work.  Tn 
my  own  practice,  when  I  am  anxious  to  secure  cloud  effects 
I  use  a  shutter  which  was  designed  and  brought  out  about 
twenty-five  years  back  by  Mr.  Dallmeyer,  but  which,  like 
many  other  things,  has  been  of  late  years  revived  and  re- 
introduced, in  a  slightly  altered  and  perhaps  improved  form. 
In  its  modern  dress  it  is  known  as  Place's  shutter,  and  its 
chief  merits  He  in  its  simplicity,  and  in  the  control  which 
the  hand  can  exercise  over  it  during  exposure.  It  consists 
of  a  frame  having  two  grooves,  in  each  of  which  slides  an 
ebonite  plate.  These  plates  are  connected  together  by  cords 
which  run  over  a  small  roller  at  the  top  of  the  contrivance. 
When  one  ebonite  plate  is  down  in  front  of  the  lens,  the 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


77 


other  is  raised  in  its  groove  out  of  the  way.  By  a  string 
attached  to  this  upper  plate  it  is  pulled  down,  and  as  it 
descends  the  other  plate  rises  and  the  exposure  is  made.  The 
duration  of  exposure,  and  the  amount  of  extra  time  devoted 
to  the  exposure  of  the  foreground,  is  therefore  directly  under 
the  control  of  the  hand  which  pulls  the  string.  I  have 
found  it  convenient  to  keep  this  shutter  on  my  lens  during 
the  whole  of  a  day's  tramp  with  the  camera,  for,  as  will  be 
evident,  it  is  serviceable  for  any  kind  of  subject  which  is 
likely  to  be  met  with,  from  that  which  requires  a  quick 
exposure,  to  the  many  seconds  wanted  when  the  camera 
is  beneath  the  shade  of  thick  foliage. 

There  is  one  thing  to  be  guarded  against  in  the  use  of 
separate  cloud  negatives,  and  that  is  the  tendency  to  use 
them  for  every  picture  without  consideration.  In  our  exhi- 
bitions a  large  proportion  of  the  works  hung  are  often  spoilt 
by  being  wedded  with  incongruous  clouds,  and  many 
amateurs  seem  to  think  that  if  there  is  only  a  little  patch 
of  open  sky  it  must  have  a  bit  of  cloud  pitchforked  into  it 
somehow.  This  is  a  mistake.  In  landscapes  containing 
plenty  of  subject,  and  more  especially  in  those  in  which 
there  is  a  tracery  of  foliage  against  a  large  portion  of  the 
sky,  the  picture  is  the  better  for  not  being  tampered  with. 
A  sunlit  landscape  photograph  is  very  often  spoilt  by  asso- 
ciation with  a  dark  cloudy  sky  through  which  in  nature  no 
sunlight  could  possibly  penerate.  I  may  mention  in  con- 
cluding this  portion  of  my  work,  that  an  excellent  article 
on  printing -in  clouds  in  lantern  slides  from  the  pen  of  Mr. 
Lyonel  Clark  appeared  in  the  October  (1889)  number  of  the 
Photographic  Quarterly.  q 


CHAPTER  X. 


ON  FRAME  MAKING. 

HE  amateur  photographer  who  is  skilled  in 
the  use  of  carpenter's  tools  has  a  great 
advantage  over  his  fellows,  for  he  can  not  only 
fit  up  his  dark-room  with  all  kinds  of  con- 
veniences, but  he  can  make  part  of  his  appara- 
tus with  his  own  hands,  and  thus  be  independent  of  outside 
help.  Those  with  long  purses  are  apt  to  decry  the  efforts  of  the 
amateur  carpenter,  and  perhaps  naturally  prefer  to  call  in  pro- 
fessional aid.  But  in  doing  so  they  quite  lose  sight  of  the 
pleasure  which  a  man  derives  from  constructing  things  for  him- 
self, and  the  advantage  of  producing  results  at  the  expenditure 
of  a  few  shillings,  whilst  others  will  spend  as  many  pounds,  and 
fail  to  do  as  well.  It  may  be  said  that  picture  frames  are  so 
cheap  that  it  is  not  worth  while  to  attempt  to  make  them 
at  home.  But  this  argument  might  be  applied  to  a  hundred 
other  things  besides  frames — and  even  to  photographs  them- 
selves— for  no  one  can  say  that  nowadays  they  are  not  cheap, 
The  true  amateur  will  never  listen  to  such  pleadings,  for  his 
pleasure  is  found  in  his  hobby  and  the  thousand  and  one 
little  employments  which  it  brings  to  him. 


Evening  work. 


79 


I  feel  sure,  therefore,  that  many  of  my  readers  who 
have  leisure  will  be  disposed  to  take  up  the  art  of  frame- 
making,  and  will  thus  be  able  to  beautify  the  walls  of  their 
rooms  with  the  work  of  their  cameras.  The  power  of  being 
able  to  make  a  frame  will  also  often  induce  them  to  give  a 
welcome  present  to  a  friend,  and  one  which  will  be  the  more 
valued  because  it  is  of  an  unusual  character. 

As  a  beginning,  the  amateur  frame-maker  should  confine 
himself  to  the  purchase  of  mouldings,  which  are  sold  of 
various  patterns  in  lengths  of  about  10  ft.  A  plain,  flat  oak 
moulding,  with  a  gold  slip  inserted  beneath  the  glass,  is  a 
safe  pattern  for  a  photograph,  for  it  will  always  look  well 
on  any  wall.  But  the  most  captious  will  be  able  to  find  a 
pattern  and  style  to  suit  him,  for  the  different  mouldings 
now  obtainable  are  of  the  most  varied  description. 

Photographs  of  an  ecclesiastical  character  will  often  look 
well  in  an  Oxford  frame,  because  of  its  cruciform  corners. 
But  it  must  be  remembered  that  there  is  a  stringent  and 
very  necessary  law  against  the  admission  of  pictures  so 
framed  to  all  exhibitions — not  because  there  is  any  moral 
wrong  in  framing  a  picture  in  this  way,  but  because  their 
presence  entails  loss  of  wall  space.  An  Oxford  frame  may  be 
likened  to  an  octopus,  by  reason  of  the  eight  projections  with 
which  it  is  furnished,  and  for  which  room  must  be  found, 
unless  they  are  at  once  ruthlessly  amputated.  Intending 
exhibitors  must,  therefore,  eschew  the  Oxford  style  of  frame, 
or  keep  them  for  home  use.  They  are  easy  enough  to  make 
and  no  one  who  has  purchased  one  as  a  pattern,  and  is  a  little 
skilled  in  the  use  of  tools,  can  fail  even  in  the  first  attempt 
at  constructing  one.     The  only  point  where  he  is  likely  to 


80 


EVENING  WORK  FOli 


be  baffled  is  in  cutting  the  rebate,  in  which  will  subsequently 
rest  the  picture,  glass,  and  back.  For  this  work,  as  well  as 
for  more  general  purposes,  I  have  employed  a  very  useful 
little  tool,  which  I  purchased  long  ago  in  Liverpool,  and 
which  may,  for  ought  I  know  to  the  contrary,  be  obtainable 
in  London,  but  I  have  never  seen  it  here,  except  in  my  own 
workshop.  It  is  shown  at  fig.  24,  and  is  known  as  a  rabbet- 
ing tool.  It  is  here  shown  full  size,  and  its  parts  will  be 
readily  understood  by  help  of  the  reference  letters.  The 


Fig.  24. 


vertical  part  is  round,  and  made  of  brass,  with  an  oblique 
stem  springing  from  it  on  the  right-hand  side,  which  forms 
the  shank  to  which  the  handle  (not  shown  in  the  cut)  is 
attached.  C  is  a  set-screw,  the  duty  of  which  is  to  hold  the 
cutter  a  tightly  in  position  after  it  has  been  adjusted  to 
give  a  cut  of  a  certain  depth.  Another  set-screw,  b,  controls 
the  position  of  a  kind  of  right-angled  shoe,  which  is  hollowed 
out  so  as  to  clamp  upon  the  vertical  part.  This  shoe  has  a 
flat  side  facing  the  cutter,  and  it  will  be  readily  understood 
that  its  distance  from  the  cutter  can  be  adjusted  to  any 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


81 


desired  distance.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  depth  of  cut 
can  be  regulated,  and  also  the  width  of  the  rebate  which  is 
cut.  In  the  position  in  which  the  tool  is  shown  in  the 
drawing,  the  piece  of  wood  upon  which  it  is  desired  to 
operate  would  be  held  rigidly  on  the  edge  of  the  work  bench 
or  table,  and  after  the  cut  had  been  made  to  its  full  depth, 
by  repeated  strokes  the  tool  would  be  turned  over  so  that 
the  cutter  acted  vertically  upon  the  top  face  of  the  same 
piece  of  wood.  By  this  means  the  two  cuts  would  meet,  and 
a  square  rod  would  be  cut  out  from  the  material  operated 
upon,  the  space  occupied  by  it  forming  the  required  rebate. 
By  adjusting  the  set-screws  between  the  two  cuts  the  width 
and  depth  of  the  rebate  can,  of  course,  be  varied  to  any  re- 
quired measurement.  This  useful  little  tool  is  invaluable  to 
the  amateur  photographer,  because  it  can  be  applied  to  so 
many  other  purposes.  Suppose,  for  instance,  that  a  carrier 
is  required  for  the  accommodation  of  a  plate  in  a  dark-slide 
which  is  far  too  big  for  it.  This  rabbeting  tool  will  soon 
cut  the  necessary  groove  for  the  reception  of  the  glass  after 
the  carrier  has  been  cut  out  of  soft  pine.  It  is  also  of 
service  in  cutting  the  tongue  upon  each  side  of  a  temporary 
camera  front,  and  for  many  other  purposes  too  numerous  to 
specify.  Its  cost  is  only  about  one  shilling,  and  it  is  so 
solidly  made  that  it  will  last  a  lifetime. 

The  necessary  tools  for  general  frame-making  are  few,  but 
they  should  be  of  the  very  best  quality.  Their  cost  is  very 
little,  if  the  amateur  worker  be  a  good  enough  carpenter  to 
make  his  own  mitre-block  and  shooting-board.  But  let  him 
not  attempt  to  make  these  unless  he  is  a  first-rate  workman, 
for  if  either  be  the  least  out  of  truth,  every  frame  made  wil» 


82 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


suffer  for  the  fault.  Both  of  these  necessary  appliances  can 
be  bought  ready  made,  and  I  advise  that  they  should  be 
obtained  thus,  to  save  both  disappointment  with  results  and 
much  loss  of  temper. 

The  simple  mitre-block — whose  duty  it  is  to  cut  off  lengths 
of  moulding  at  an  angle  of  45  degs.,  so  as  to  form  a  mitre 
joint  at  each  corner  of  the  frame — is  shown  at  fig.  25.  It 
needs  but  a  few  words  of  description,  so  simple  is  it  in  design. 
It  consists  of  a  baseboard,  upon  which  is  firmly  glued  and 


Fig.  25. 


screwed  from  below  a  somewhat  thicker  piece  of  wood,  in 
which  are  three  saw-cuts.  One  of  these  is  straight  across 
the  centre,  and  the  other  two  are  each  cut  at  an  angle  with 
it  of  45  degs.,  but  in  reverse  directions.  The  contrivance,  it 
will  be  seen,  forms  a  step,  upon  the  lower  level  of  which  is 
placed  the  wood,  or  moulding,  to  be  cut.  By  aid  of  the 
middle  saw-cut — which  now  serves  as  a  guide  for  the  saw — 
the  piece  of  wood  thus  inserted  may  be  cut  straight  across, 
or,  by  utilising  either  of  the  other  cuts,  at  an  angle,  which 
will  at  once  render  it  fit  to  serve  as  part  of  a  picture  frame. 

The  other  contrivance,  pictured  at  fig.  26,  is  the  shooting- 
board,  which  needs  almost  less  description  than  the  mitre- 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


83 


block.  Here,  again,  we  have  a  step  arrangement,  and  a  means 
of  holding  the  lengths  of  moulding  which  have  already  been 
cut  on  the  mitre-block,  in  such  a  position  that  a  plane  run 
on  its  side  along  that  lower  step  will  effectually  shave 
off  enough  of  the  cut  end  to  make  a  clean  join  with 
another  end  which  has  been  similarly  treated.  I  may 
mention  here  that  if  the  saw  used  in  the  first  operation  be 
of  the  right  description,  a  fine  tenon-saw,  the  necessity  for 
this  after-business  of  shooting — that  is,  planing — will  be 


Fig.  26. 


obviated,  provided  that  the  mitre-block  is  absolutely  true. 
It  must  be  true  not  only  with  regard  to  correct  angles,  but 
also  in  respect  to  the  saw-cuts,  which  must  be  perpendicular 
to  the  baseboard,  otherwise  the  frame  will  not  lie  flat — that 
is  to  say,  its  parts  will  not  occupy  one  plane. 

There  is  another  form  of  mitre-block,  shown  in  fig.  27, 
wl  i^h  presents  some  advantages,  and  certainly  it  is  a  very 
easy  one  to  construct.  In  this  case  the  saw  always  occupies 
the  same  position  in  the  transverse  saw-cut,  the  pieces  of 
wood,  or  moulding,  being  moved  to  the  right  or  left  of  it  as 
may  be  required.  The  only  objection  to  the  use  of  this 
instrument  is  that  few  persons  are  educated  up  to  using 


84 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


either  hands  indifferently.  Usually  the  right  hand  is 
used  for  guiding  the  saw,  and  in  this  case  the  left  hand 
must  be  stretched  over  it  to  hold  the  wood  whilst  it  is  being 
cut.  Those  who  use  both  hands  indifferently  will  not  suffer 
this  inconvenience. 

It  need  hardly  be  pointed  out  that  the  plane  used  for  this 
wood  must  be  square  in  section,  or  it  will  not  give  a  true 
vertical  cut  when  laid  on  its  side.  The  actual  form  of  the 
plane  beyond  this  does  not  much  matter,  but  it  must  be 


Fig.  27. 


sharpened  and  set  to  a  very  fine  adjustment.  There  is  a 
description  of  plane  made  with  a  single,  instead  of  a  double, 
iron,  which  dees  well  for  the  work,  but  an  ordinary  "  jack  " 
or  a  "  trying  "  plane  will  answer  the  purpose.  Still,  it  is  far 
better  to  devote  a  plane  to  this  one  purpose,  and  to  use  it  for 
nothing  else.  A  form  of  plane  which  cuts  with  great  ease 
is  one  in  which  the  iron  is  set  obliquely — called,  I  believe,  a 
bevel  plane.  All  these  different  forms  are  made  with  the 
handle  set  in  the  side,  instead  of  in  the  top,  immediately 
behind  the  iron.  This  side  arrangement  gives  better  control 
over  the  tool,  as  it  slides  to  and  fro  on  the  lower  step  of  the 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


85 


shooting-board.  But  the  instrument  which  is  better  than 
any  for  frame-making  is  a  good  metal  plane.  It  can  be  set 
to  cut  a  far  finer  shaving  than  a  wooden  tool,  and  it  has  the 
advantage  of  weight — that  is  to  say,  when  once  in  motion  it 
does  half  the  work  by  its  own  impetus.  It  is  not,  moreover, 
subject  to  the  scratches  and  other  evidences  of  wear  and  tear 
which  are  common  to  wooden  planes. 

There  is  nothing  new  about  the  methods  of  cutting  a  mitre 
which  I  have  detailed.  Indeed,  I  should  suppose  that  the 
mitre  block  and  shooting  board  can  themselves  boast  a 
very  high  antiquity.  And  a  proof  of  their  efficiency  is 
found  in  their  present  popularity  with  the  trade.  Peep 
into  the  workshop  of  any  professional  frame  maker,  and 
you  will  see  these  venerable  but  effective  appliances  still 
at  work,  in  preference  to  a  number  of  more  modern  con- 
trivances for  performing  the  same  offices.  It  is  not  by  any 
means  my  purpose  to  decry  the  various  appliances  for 
cutting  mitred  joints  which  are  now  sold,  for  some  of  these 
are  extremely  serviceable.  It  would,  indeed,  be  wise  for 
the  frame  maker  who  can  afford  it  to  buy  one  of  these 
machines  as  a  labour- saver ;  but,  from  my  experience  of 
them,  I  am  bound  to  admit  that  the  cut  which  they  make, 
although  apparently  clean  and  regular,  is  all  the  better 
for  a  finishing  touch  with  the  plane  on  the  shooting  board. 
Whether  this  want  of  exactitude  is  due  to  spring  in  the 
metal  composing  the  cutting  blade  of  the  machine,  or  to 
the  elasticity  of  the  wood  when  cut  under  slow  pressure,  it 
is  difficult  to  determine.  But  I  should  think  that  both 
causes  contribute  to  the  result.  It  may  be  the  outcome  of 
clumsiness  on  my  part,  but  I  certainly  find  that  a  frame 


86 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


made  in  the  old-fashioned  way  has  better  corner  joints 
than  those  cut  by  machine. 

If  the  amateur  should  have  many  frames  to  make,  it  is 
perhaps  the  best  plan  to  cut  and  shoot  the  four  pieces  com- 
prising each,  and  after  placing  them  in  position  on  a  flat 
surface  to  see  whether  the  corners  meet  one  another  well, 
to  tie  up  those  relating  to  each  particular  frame,  leaving 
the  joining  up  to  take  place  when  all  are  ready  for  that 
stage  of  the  work.  By  following  this  procedure  the  hand 
becomes  accustomed  to  each  operation  involved,  and  a 
gradual  improvement  in  the  way  in  which  it  is  executed  will 
soon  become  manifest. 

To  make  a  good  join,  the  best  glue  must  be  employed, 
and  it  must  be  used  freshly  mixed,  for,  as  all  users  of 
gelatinous  bodies  should  know,  every  time  the  glue  is  melted 
it  loses  a  certain  amount  of  its  tenacity.  It  must  also 
be  hot  as  well  as  fresh,  and  must  be  applied  to  the  work 
neatly  and  quickly.  To  glue  up  a  mitred  corner,  place 
the  longer  piece  of  moulding  in  the  bench-vice  in  a  verti- 
cal position,  and  hold  its  fellow  to  it  in  the  position 
it  is  to  occupy  permanently,  but  slightly  overlapping  the 
part  which  is  held  in  the  bench  vice.  The  necessity  of  this 
precaution  will  be  seen  when  the  brads  to  hold  the  two 
pieces  together  are  driven  home,  when  it  will  become  evi- 
dent that  there  is  a  natural  tendency  upon  the  upper  piece 
to  slide  downwards  on  the  inclined  plane  formed  by  the 
cut  edge  of  the  lower  piece.  Holding  the  upper  portion  in 
the  manner  described,  a  hole  should  be  bored  downwards 
with  a  small  bradawl,  and  in  this  hole  a  brad  is  inserted 
with  the  fingers.    The  pieces  are  now  separated,  the  glue 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


87 


applied  sparingly  to  each  surface,  the  pieces  joined  cnce 
more,  and  the  nail  driven  home  with  the  hammer, 

Various  forms  of  mitre-cramps  are  sold  which  are  used 
to  hold  the  freshly- joined  corner  firmly  until  dry,  but  here 
again  we  can  adopt  an  older-fashioned  method  with  ad- 
vantage. Cut  out  of  close-grained  wood,  such  as  beech, 
a  series  of  L-shaped  pieces,  of  a  thickness  corresponding 
with  that  of  the  frame  to  be  made.  .  When  all  four  corners 
of  the  frame  have  been  joined  up  as  described,  place  it  flat 
on  a  table,  and  furnish  each  corner  with  one  of  these  L 
pieces.  Now  stretch  a  strong  cord  right  round  the  frame 
so  that  each  L-piece  is  held  firmly  in  position,  after  which, 
by  twisting  a  stick  round  the  cord,  great  tension  can  be  put 
upon  it,  and  the  whole  frame  is  bound  tightly  together 
until  the  cord  is  released  after  the  glue  has  had  time  to  dry. 

Even  though  a  frame  has  been  well  made,  our  work  is  not 
finished,  for  some  little  art  and  care  are  necessary  in  placing 
the  picture  within  it.  Unless  this  be  done  well  and  in  such 
a  manner  that  the  air  is  wholly  excluded,  both  back  and 
front,  our  labour  will  be  lost.  It  is  a  common  thing  to 
see  a  framed  picture  with  its  mount  begrimed  with  smoke  or 
dust,  and  generally  discoloured.  The  reason  of  this  is  the 
omission  of  one  very  necessary  precaution  which  should 
always  be  observed  in  framing  water-colour  drawings,  pho- 
tographs, or  any  description  of  picture  which  must  be  pro- 
tected by  glass.  This  consists  in  sealing  the  glass  into  the 
frame  so  that  no  contamination  can  reach  the  face  of  the 
picture.  The  way  to  do  this  effectively  is  as  follows : — 
First  see  that  both  frame  and  glass  are  perfectly  clean,  and 
that  the  latter  fits  the  rebate  without  leaving  a  vacant 


88 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


space  between  the  glass  and  the  inner  side  of  the  mould- 
ing. Glaziers  are  the  most  careless  of  workmen,  and  it 
seems  a  matter  of  indifference  to  them  whether  a  glass  fits 
well  or  badly  in  a  frame  which  is  entrusted  to  their  tender 
mercies,  a  difficulty  which  the  amateur  will  avoid  if  he  only 
will  take  the  trouble  to  learn  to  use  a  diamond  himself. 
Having  a  well-fitting  glass  placed  within  the  frame  as  it  lies 
face  downwards  on  a  blanket-covered  table,  proceed  to  attach 
some  previously  cut  slips  of  good  stout  paper  by  means  of 
glue,  to  the  edge  of  the  glass.  This  should  be  done  in  such 
a  way  that  the  glass  is  actually  glued  into  the  frame  all 
round,  and  cannot  fall  out  when  the  frame  is  inverted. 
Next  place  the  mounted  picture  upon  the  glass,  and  finally 
fill  in  the  back  with  the  usual  board.  A  good  frame  maker 
will  use  for  this  purpose  a  properly  planed  and  joined  board, 
so  that  it  has  no  seams  through  which  the  ever-present 
dust  can  get  inside.  But  the  modern  cheap  and  nasty  frame 
maker  thinks  it  quite  sufficient  to  insert  a  few  rickety  and 
very  knotty  boards,  which  would  be  quite  useless  for  any 
other  purpose  under  the  sun.  The  quality  of  the  board  does 
not  really  matter  very  much,  if  it  be,  after  nailing  into  the 
frame,  completely  covered  with  good  brown  paper  by  means 
of  glue.  Dust  and  smoke  must  be  kept  out  by  some  such 
means,  and  their  exclusion  is  particularly  necessary  in  the 
case  of  photographs. 

All  narrow  frames,  whether  they  be  of  oak,  ebonized  wood, 
or  any  other  material,  are  much  improved  by  the  insertion 
of  a  gold  slip  next  to  the  picture.  This  can,  like  the 
mouldings,  be  bought  by  the  length,  and  can  be  obtained  of 
the  same  dealers.    It  is  a  false  economy  to  use  anything 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


89 


but  a  slip  which  has  been  covered  with  real  gold  leaf.  The 
imitation  ones  look  well  for  a  time,  but  any  scratch  unseen 
at  first  soon  develops  into  a  black  line,  and  this  is  the  case 
even  if  it  be  placed  under  the  glass.  This  course  I  recom- 
mend in  all  cases,  even  with  the  real  gold  slip,  for  it  is  by 
this  means  protected  from  all  external  influences,  and  will 
always  remain  clean  and  bright. 

It  will  be  seen  later  on  that  gilded  frames  receive  a  final 
coating  of  clear  size  made  from  parchment  cuttings.  This 
seems  to  somewhat  dull  their  appearance  when  first  applied, 
but  the  coating  is  a  useful  protector  from  dirt  and  dust.  A 
frame  of  this  description  which  has  begun  to  look  as  if  it 
required  regilding  can  often  be  renovated  by  the  home 
worker.  All  that  is  necessary  is  to  carefully  sponge  the 
frame  with  hot  water,  and  to  once  more  give  it  a  coating  of 
protective  size. 


CHAPTER  XL 


ON  FASHION  IN  FPA^IES. 

HERE  has  been  somewhat  of  a  revolution  in 
the  matter  of  picture  fraires  during  the 
past  few  years,  and,  as  a  rule  the  elaborate 
frames  of  past  days  are  giving  place  to  these 
of  afar  more  simple  and  less  ornate  character. 
In  our  permanent  picture  galleries  we  can  still  see  the 
scalloped  gilt  monstrosities  which  our  forefathers  con- 
sidered necessary  to  set  off  their  pictures.  Rut  in  a 
modern  gallery  we  see  few  of  these  old-time  frames,  for 
they  have  been  superseded  by  those  of  newer  fashion.  It 
must  be  admitted  that  some  of  these  are  so  simple  in 
character  that  they  border  on  the  eccentric.  For  instance, 
that  wayward  genius,  Van  Reers,  who  has  during  the 
past  few  years  had  an  annual  exhibition  of  his  own 
works,  seems  to  despise  the  ordinary  gilt  frame  entirely, 
and  prefers  to  use  a  frame  made  of  wood  stretched 
over  with  coarse  canvas  and  painted  with  green  distemper. 
Many  of  his  pictures  I   have  seen  thus  framed,  some 


EVENING  WORK. 


91 


measuring  something  less  than  a  photographic  quarter- 
plate  being   furnished  with    a  frame    quite  nine  inches 

in  width.  This  arrange, 
ment  certainly  has  the  ad 
vantage  of  preventing  the 
works  being  crowded,  or  in- 
jured in  effect  by  juxtapo- 
sition, but  it  is  extremely 
eccentric.  Van  Beers,  how- 
ever, is  not  the  only 
painter  who  rejoices  in 
queer-looking  frames.  Mr. 
Whistler  treats  his  pictures 
in  much  the  same  way,  and  evidently  with  the  intention 
that  the 'spectator's  eye  should  not  be  enticed  away  from 
the  principal  object.  This 
is  all  very  well,  but  the 
idea  may  be  carried  too 
far,  and  is  carried  too 
far,  especially  by  those 
of  our  younger  artists 
who  are  trying  to  found  a 
new  school  of  painting. 
The  eccentricity  of  their 
pictures  is  often  only 
exceeded  by  the  peculi- 
arity of  the  frames  in 
which  they  are  set.  In 
portraits  of  eminent  men  it  would  always  be  well  if  the 
frame  could  be  made  consonant  in  some  way  with  in- 


Fig.  29. 


92 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


cidents  of  their  lives,  or  with  their  studies  or  works. 
Thus    a  portrait  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  might  be  framed 

in  carved  wood,  depicting 
some  of  the  apparatus  used 
in  his  researches,  just  as,  in 
the  case  of  the  portrait  of 
another  famous  Izaak — the 
father  of  anglers — which 
is  hung  at  Brasenose  Col- 
lege, the  frame  is  adorned 
with  rod  and  tackle  and 
other  mysteries  of  the  fisher- 
man's stock-in-trade.  In  a 
recent  [exhibition  in  London,  I  noted  with  pleasure  that 
an  Egyptian  subject  was  framed  very  happily  in  gilded 
wood,  upon  which  were  carved  representations  of  hiero- 
glyphics, whilst  the  two 
uprights  on  either  side 
were  columns  modelled 
from  those  of  Egyptian 
rock-cut  temples.  This 
plan  of  framing  a  pic- 
ture with  regard  to  its 
subject  is  much  to  be 
commended. 

But  we  must  remember 
that  the  large  majority 
of  persons  whose   por  ■^IG* 
traits   are    painted    or    photographed   lead  humdrum, 
colourless  lives,  and  it  would  tax  the  ingenuity  to  its 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


93 


utmost  to  frame  them  in  a  distinctive  manner, 
portraits  I  have  lately- 
noticed  the  introduc- 
tion of  a  type  of  frame 
which  is  very  effective, 
and  which  I  fancy  is 
of  French  origin.  It 
consists  of  a  simple 
flat,  covered  with  can- 
vas of  very  open  tex- 
ture, which  is  glued 
to  the  wood  and  then 
gilded  or  silvered. 
Upon  this  flat,  which 
has  the  general  ap- 


For  ladies' 


Fig.  32. 


pearance  of  frosted  metal,  is  attached  at  one  corner  a 

sprig  of  some  flower,  also 
in  gold  or  red  bronze. 
This  ornament  has  the 
charm  of  carelessness,  and 
is  most  effective.  The 
same  frames,  too,  instead 
of  being  covered  with 
canvas,  may  be  glued 
and  sprinkled  with  rice, 
or  any  kind  of  grain, 
being  afterwards  silvered 
Fig.  33.  or    gnt.       Gilded  oak 

frames  of  various   designs    have  also  come   lately  into 

fashion,  and  if  the   wood   be  of  handsome  figure — by 

7 


94 


EVENING  WORK  FOE 


which  I  mean  beautiful  grain — and  this  grain  be  allowed 
to  show  well  through  the  gold,  the  effect  is  as  fine  as  can 
be  desired.  This  is,  moreover,  a  kind  of  frame  that  is 
well  calculated  to  show  off  a  photograph. 

Many  amateurs  who  have  tried  any  form  of  gilding  have 
been  tempted  to  give  it  up  in  despair.  This  arises  princi- 
pally from  the  circumstance  that  the  gold-leaf  used  is 
so   extremely  thin  and  light  that    it   is  the    sport  of 

every  breath  of  air,  and 
it  invariably  shows  a  dis- 
position to  cling  to  every- 
thing except  the  precise 
spot  for  which  it  is  in- 
tended. Like  most  other 
delicate  operations,  this 
one  of  gilding  requires  an 
apprenticeship  before  it 
can  be  practised  with  any 
perfection,  and  it  is  very 
doubtful  whether  an  ama- 
teur worker,  however  skilled,  will  ever  be  able  to  master, 
without  this  apprenticeship,  the  art  of  matt  gilding  and  bur- 
nishing. Under  these  circumstances,  it  would  seem  to  be 
futile  to  recommend  an  amateur  to  attempt  to  gild  his 
frames,  and  it  would  be  so  were  ornate  mouldings  with 
burnished  lines  and  projections  under  coDsideration.  But 
the  matter  of  gilding  an  oak  fiat  or  rounded  moulding 
is  comparatively  simple,  and  well  within  his  powers.  The 
operation  has,  moreover,  been  simplified  by  the  introduction 
of  the  transfer  process,  by  which  the  gold  leaf  is  kept  well 


Fig.  34. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


95 


in  hand,  and  nnable  to  stray  away  during  the  progress  of 
the  work.  This  transfer  gold  is  sold  in  leaves,  which  are 
attached  to  waxed  paper,  an  attachment  which  is  finally 
overcome  by  the  greater  tenacity  of  the  medium  employed 
to  stick  the  metal  to  its  final  support. 

I  will  now  briefly  describe  each  pattern  of  frame  which 
is  here  illustrated. 

Fig.  28  consists  of  two  flats  of  dead  gold — one  forming 
a  kind  of  inner  slip  to  the  other.  Fig.  29  is  of  ribbed 
dark  or  stained  wood,  with  a  gold  slip  next  the  pic- 
ture. Fig.  30  is  a  moulded  oak  frame,  gilded  so  that  the 
grain  or  figure  of  the  wood  shows  up  clearly  through  the 
gold,  and  catches  the  light  in  a  very  pleasing  manner.  I 
may  mention  that  such  moulded  wood  is  sold  at  many 
sawmills,  for  decorative  purposes,  and  by  a  little  building 
up  at  the  back  may  be  rendered  serviceable  for  picture 
frames.  Fig.  31  is  more  elaborate,  because  it  has  a  carved 
border,  but  the  major  part  of  the  frame  is  flat  oak  gilded. 
No.  32  is  a  bevelled  frame,  the  bevel  running  in  two 
different  directions,  as  may  be  seen  by  reference  to  the 
sectional  diagram.  Such  a  frame  can  be  made  cf 
various  materials,  so  as  to  suit  the  picture  or  the  wall 
upon  which  it  has  to  be  hung.  This  latter  point, 
although  a  minor  one,  is  of  some  importance.  Plain  oak 
looks  well  almost  on  any  wall,  for  it  is  neither  very 
light  nor  very  dark  in  tone.  Ebony  frames  look  well  on 
dark  walls,  but  afford  a  violent  and  unpleasant  con- 
trast to  a  light  one. 

Fig.  33  has  a  more  elaborate  appearance  than  the  frames 
already  noticed,  because  of  tho  pattern  carved  upon  it.  The 


96 


EVENING  WORK. 


frame  can  be  made  of  oak,  and  the  pattern  marked  upon  it 
by  means  of  a  stencil ;  the  marked  portions  bang  afterwards 
cut  out  with  a  carving  tool — no  very  difficult;  matter.  The 
frame  from  which  I  copied  this  pattern  was  gilded  oak,  and 
was  in  keeping  with  the  subject  of  the  picture  which  it  held 
— the  courtyard  of  a  stately  old  building.  No.  34  is  also  a 
gilded  oak  frame,  with  a  kind  of  raised  wavy  bead  upon  it, 
which  forms  a  loop  at  each  corner. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

ON    FRAME-MAKING,  AND  GILDING. 

|]AK,  like  other  wood,  is  porous  and  greedy  of 
moisture  of  any  kind.  The  first  operation, 
therefore,  is  to  give  it  a  coating  which 
shall  act  as  a  support  for  the  gilding  medium 
to  be  afterwards  applied  to  it.  Strong  parch- 
ment size — which,  like  everything  else  required  in  this  work, 
can  be  bought  at  the  gilder's  material  shops — is  the  sub- 
stance to  use  after  it  has  been  melted,  with  the  addition 
of  a  little  hot  water.  This  size  must  be  strained,  and  painted 
well  into  the  wood  with  a  hog-hair  brush — the  work 
being  done  not  too  quickly,  so  as  to  avoid  any  frothing 
of  the  liquid.  After  being  so  treated,  the  frame  is 
set  aside  to  dry  thoroughly,  after  which  it  will  be  im- 
proved by  being  rubbed  down  with  the  finest  glass  paper, 
and  sized  once  more.  Again  the  frame  is  dried,  and  now 
it  is  ready  for  the  coat  of  medium  which  is  to  hold  the  gold- 
leaf  to  its  surface. 

This  medium  is  known  to  the  trade  as  oil  gold  size, 
and  it  is  applied  to  the  wood  with  a  flat  camel-hair 


98 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


brush. 


After  this  coating  of  gold-size,  the  frame  must 
be  set  aside  in  a  place 
quite  free  from  dust  for 
a  period  ranging  from 
twelve  to  twenty  hours, 

  the  time  being  governed 

— ■ ™" *»  by  the  quality  and  age 
of  the  gold  size,  and  also 
to  some  extent  by  the 
weather.  For  during  this 
time  the  varnish-like 
fluid  gradually  evapo- 
rates, and  it  must  be  al- 
Fig.  35.  lowed  to  do  so  until  it  has 

reached  just  that  point  of  "  tackiness  "  when  the  gold  will 
adhere  to  it  best.  When 
this  point  is  reached,  the 
gold-leaf — previously  cut 
en  bloc  with  a  pair  of 
scissors  to  the  best  size 
to  suit  the  moulding  to 
be  covered — is  pressed  on 
bit  by  bit,  each  piece  over- 
laying the  edge  of  the 
other  until  the  entire  sur- 
face is  covered.  Now 
let  the  frame  rest  for  a 
few  more  hours,  and  lightly  dust  off  the  superfluous  gold 
with  a  clean  dry  cloth.  The  operation  is  completed  by 
giving  the  gilded  surface  a  coating  of  clear  parchment 


\ 


Fig.  36. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


99 


size,  which  protects  the  delicate  surface  from  all  attacks 
of  contaminated  air,  etc. 

At  a  recent  exhibition  in  London,  I  was  interested  in 

noticing  the  new  styles  of 
frames  which  many  of  the 
artists  had  adopted,  and 
I  amused  myself  by  making 
thumb-nail  sketches  in  my 
catalogue,  both  of  the  pic- 
tures themselves,  and  also 
of  their  frames,  in  cases 
where  the  more  ordinary 
patterns  were  departed 
from.  These  sketches  I 
have  reproduced  here,  and 
it  will  be  seen  that  many  of  the  designs  are  so  simple  that 
they  can  very  readily  be  adopted  by  the  amateur  frame- 
maker.    In    many  cases  I 


Fig.  37. 


have  shown  how  the  beauty 
of  the  frame  can  be  en- 
hanced by  preserving  the 
grain  of  the  wood,  and  this 
grain  is  far  more  noticeable 
if  the  wood  be  gilded  than 
if  it  be  left  bare.  There  is 
certainly,  in  the  case  of  oak, 
no  course  between  the  two 
extremes — at  least,  in  my 
humble  opinion.  Yarnish,  or  polish,  in  any  form  is  simply 
execrable,  and  if  the  wood  be  left  entirely  unprotected,  it 


Fig.  38. 


100 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


soon  gets  dark  and  grimy.  In  the  case  of  a  simple  bead- 
ing, this  does  not  much  matter,  for  a  little  rubbing  with 
glass  paper  will  soon  give  it  a 
new  surface  ;  but  if  the  frame 
be  elaborate  in  character  this 
mode  of  treatment  is  not  ap- 
plicable. 

Fig.  35  was  remarkable  for 
being  made  of  rough  dark- 
stained  wood  without  gild- 
ing. It  enclosed  a  large  pic- 
ture of  a  cottage  interior,  and 
the  subject  was  here  again  in  accordance  with  the  simpli- 
city of  the  frame.  Fig.  36  is  an  unusual  kind  of  com- 
  bination;  the  broad  part 


Fig.  39. 


of  the  frame  being  of  dark 
wood  bevelled   back  to- 
wards the  wall,  and  the 
"ZZZZZ    ornamental  beading  being 

  made  of  metal,  and  having 

the  appearance  of  oxydised 
silver.  Fig.  37  exhibits 
another  spec 'men  of  a 
pattern  in  gilded  oak  with 
a  carved  ornament  near 
its  outer  edge.  An  effective 
pattern  for  a  wholly  gilt  frame  is  seen  at  fig.  38  ;  and 
No.  39  is  a  gilt  oak  frame  with  raised  diamonds  upon  it. 
This  frame  is  more  eccentric  than  effective,  and  as  it  had 
no  possible  reference  to  the  subject  of  the  picture,  seemed  to 


Fig.  40. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


101 


be  meaningless  in  design.  Fig.  40  is  a  frame  made  of  deal, 
and  stretched  with  coarse  canvas,  which  is  afterwards 
coated  with  glue  and  gilded 
as  already  described.  Figs. 
41  and  42  are  both  plain 
oak  frames  with  hollowed  out 
panels.  I  copied  these  from 
pictures  in  theGrosvenor  Gal- 
lery, and  they  were  certainly 
effective.  They  can  be  made 
by  building  up  pieces  of  oak, 
by  any  one  having  a  slight 
knowledge  of  the  use  of  tools. 

In  frame-making  we  must  guard  against  over-elaboration, 

and  must  constantly  re 
-^V?    member  that,  after  all,  the 
"5    work  must  be  subvervient 

j~  m     to  the  picture  which  it 

is  destined  to  contain.  This 
-'-  -  over-elaboration  was  the 
fashion  in  days  gone  by, 
so  much  so  that  it  was  not 
uncommon  to  hear  an 
ignorant  critic  make  re- 
marks about  the  beauty 
of  the  frame,  and  paying 
very  scant  attention  to  the  picture.  As  we  have  already  seen, 
there  is  a  tendency  now-a-days  to  go  to  the  opposite  ex- 
treme, and  to  frame  a  picture  with  such  ostentatious  sim- 
plicity that  the  verge  of  eccentricity  is  continually  reached. 


J 

? 

mm. 
,<ui' 

\ 

mil 

¥' 


Fig.  42. 


102 


EVENING  WORK. 


Many  amateur  carpenters  are  very  skilful  in  fretwork, 
and  useful  treadle  machines  are  now  sold  at  a  low  price, 
which  execute  i&ie  work  with  ease  and  rapidity.  Fretwork 
can  be  introduced  as  an  adjunct  to  ordinary  frames,  and 
is  effective  if  well  done.  But  I  think  that  it  should  only  be 
used  for  portraits,  and  in  imitation  of  those  handsome 
Italian  carved  openwork  frames  which  have  long  been 
in  use  for  oil  paintings.  The  best  way  to  employ  fretwork  is 
as  an  appendage  to  an  ordinary  mitred  narrow  frame, 
which  should  have  on  its  outer  edge  a  rebate  cut  so  that  the 
fretwork  ornament  can  be  sunk  therein,  and  so  brought 
flush  with  the  original  moulding.  The  design  should  be 
bold  in  outline,  and  unlike  in  character  to  the  fine 
work  which  used  to  be  commonly  employed  for  the  front  of  a 
piano.  It  should  be  of  such  a  nature  too  that  the  mitred 
corners  will  come  well  together,  and  not  give  the  idea  of  a 
break  in  the  pattern  where  the  join  occurs.  Perhaps  on  the 
whole  it  is  better  to  use  fretwork  for  little  fancy  portrait- 
frames,  which  are  supported  easel-fashion  on  the  drawing- 
room  table,  and  stand  among  other  knicknacks  of  a  similar 
character.  Under  the  same  category  come  frames  which 
are  covered  with  coloured  plush.  These  are  easy  enough  to 
make,  for  they  can  be  cut  out  of  soft  pine,  and  any  little 
irregularity  which  may  be  at  first  apparent  is  covered  up 
and  hidden  by  the  plush.  The  best  cement  to  use  in  order 
to  make  the  material  adhere  to  the  wood  is  a  mixture  of 
flour-paste  and  glue,  the  former  correcting  the  brittleness 
of  the  latter.  If  glue  be  used  alone  the  contraction  of  the 
plush  has  a  tendency  to  strip  it  from  its  support. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


HINTS  ON  MAKING  ENLARGEMENTS. 

HA  YE  always  been  a  great  advocate  for  the 
use  of  small  cameras,  and  have  the  courage  of 
my  opinions  in  so  far  that  I  seldom  in  my  own 
practice  use  one  larger  than  quarter-plate.  I 
have  pointed  out  on  a  previous  page  the 
many  advantages  which  the  possessor  of  a  small  camera  has 
over  the  photographer  who  works  big  plates,  and  have  in- 
dicated that  if  the  producer  of  small  pictures  wants  an 
occasional  large  one,  it  is  not  difficult  to  attain  his  object  by 
magnification  of  the  original  negative.  It  is  only  now  and 
then  that  a  negative  will  be  considered  worthy  of  this 
honour,  and  care  should  be  taken  that  there  is  no  mistake 
here,  for  a  poor  picture  will  look  all  the  poorer  when  its 
defects  are  magnified.  On  the  other  hand,  a  negative 
which  is  full  of  detail,  but  which  from  some  cause  or  other 
is  too  thin  to  yield  a  satisfactory  proof  by  contact,  will 
generally  afford  a  fine  enlargement.  Especially  is  such  a 
negative  fitted  for  enlargement  upon  bromide  paper. 


104 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


Before  attempting  to  enter  upon  the  work  of  enlarging 
photographs,  the  operator  should  determine  whether  he 
wants  a  single  positive  from  his  negative,  or  whether  he 
requires  a  large  number,  because  upon  the  settlement  of 
this  question  depends  the  shape  which  his  work  will  assume. 
If  one  or  two  copies  only  are  required,  the  bromide  paper 
process  is  the  one  to  adopt ;  but  if,  say,  a  dozen  or  more 
enlarged  positives  are  wanted,  it  is  far  better  to  make  in  the 
first  instance  an  enlarged  negative,  and  then  to  print  from 
that  as  many  positives  on  paper  as  may  be  required.  An 
undoubted  advantage  in  this  latter  method  of  procedure  is 
found  in  the  circumstance  that  with  such  a  negative  we  are 
not  confined  to  one  method  of  printing,  but  can  adopt  any 
we  like,  from  fugitive  albumen  to  permanent  platinotype. 

In  carrying  out  any  operation,  it  is  obviously  advisable 
to  benefit  by  the  experience  of  others  by  endeavouring  to 
imitate  the  methods  adopted  by  successful  workers.  But 
if  we  apply  this  method  to  the  subject  of  enlarging,  we 
are  at  once  met  with  a  difficulty,  for  no  two  firms  who 
devote  themselves  to  this  class  of  work  conduct  their 
operations  in  the  same  way.  One  or  two  use  daylight; 
another  employs  the  lime-light,  while  at  least  one  other  uses 
the  electric  arc- light  exclusively.  For  obvious  reasons,  day- 
light need  not  be  considered  here,  and  it  is  as  well 
that  such  should  be  the  case,  for  it  is  perhaps  the  most  in- 
constant source  of  light  that  we  can  employ  for  the  pur- 
pose. The  lime-light  is  far  more  serviceable,  and  now  that 
oxygen  is  obtainable  commercially,  it  is  within  the  reach  of 
all.  The  electric  light  must  for  the  present  be  discarded, 
but  in  the  near  future  it  will  possibly  be  more  easily  acces- 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


105 


sible  than  any  other  luminant,  and  most  certainly  it  is 
the  best  that  can  be  had  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging  photo- 
graphs. 

If  we  require  to  produce  an  enlarged  negative,  we  must 
first  of  all  procure  a  good  transparency  on  glass,  which 
may  be  of  the  same  size  as  the  original  negative,  or 
smaller  or  larger  according  to  the  conveniences  which 
we  may  have  at  hand  for  producing  it.  In  another  work* 
I  have  described  a  method  of  enlarging,  which  I  originated, 
in  which  very  small  positives  are  employed,  and  by  which  I 
obtain  the  best  results.  But  the  method  is  only  applicable 
by  those  who  care  to  undertake  the  trouble  of  plate-making, 
for  large  chloride  plates  are  employed  which  are  not  obtain- 
able commercially.  The  general  worker  will  be  obliged  by 
circumstances  to  use  bromide  plates  for  his  enlarged  nega- 
tives, and  he  will  do  well  to  eschew  those  of  a  very  rapid 
description. 

The  positive  may  be  produced  by  any  of  the  well-known 
processes,  but  it  must  not  be  the  kind  of  positive  which  is 
best  for  the  lantern.  Exposure  and  development  must  be 
carried  far  enough  to  coax  every  bit  of  detail  out  of  the 
original  negative,  and  if  a  slight  veiling  of  the  lights  is 
produced  in  the  effort  to  do  this,  it  does  not  in  the  least 
matter,  as  it  would  in  the  case  of  a  lantern  slide,  for  we  do 
not  want  a  pretty  positive,  but  one  which  will  yield  us  a  good 
negative.  We  have  an  analogous  instance  in  the  case  of 
a  pretty  black  and  white  negative,  in  contradistinction  to 
one  which  is  rather  yellow  than  black.    The  first  will  give 

*  "  Book  of  the  Lantern."  (Hazell,  Watson,  and  Viney,  Ld.,  1, 
Creed  Lane,  Ludgate  Hill,  E.G.) 


106 


EVENING  WORK  FOlt 


us  a  hard  positive,  while  the  less  ornamental  specimen  will 
afford  us  one  rich  in  exquisite  gradation  of  tone  and  full  of 
detail.  It  is  better  to  produce  such  a  positive  by  means  of 
the  camera,  and  one  or  two  forms  of  instrument  suitable  for 
making  lantern  slides  have  already  been  given.  Failing 
one  of  these,  two  ordinary  cameras  can  be  called  into  play, 
the  lens  of  one  pointing  into  the  open  front  of  the  other. 

There  is  a  way  of  making  an  enlarged  negative  direct 
from  a  smaller  negative  without  the  intervention  of  a 
positive  image,  and  although  this  method  has  been  known  for 
some  years  it  seems  to  be  very  seldom  practised.  The  reason 
of  this  neglect  is  doubtless  partly  owing  to  the  uncertainty 
which  is  sure  to  attend  first  attempts,  and  partly  to  the 
circumstance  that  certain  plates,  particularly  those  having 
abnormally  thick  films,  are  unsuitable,  and  give  poor 
results.  The  process,  which  I  will  presently  describe,  should 
not  be  attempted  unless  the  lime-light  be  available,  for 
one  element  of  success  is  represented  by  a  very  long 
exposure — an  exposure,  in  fact,  which  would  mean  ruin  to 
an  enlargement  produced  in  the  more  ordinary  manner. 

The  kind  of  plate  used  is  gelatine  bromide  thinly 
coated,  as  already  indicated,  and  its  development  must  be 
brought  about  by  the  ferrous-oxalate  method.  The  exposure 
must  be  considerably  longer  than  the  normal,  so  that  when 
the  developer  is  flowed  over  the  plate  the  image  shall  appear 
quickly.  Never  mind  fog  or  darkness,  but  develop  until 
the  picture  is  seen  as  a  positive  on  the  glass  side  of  the 
plate.  After  development  give  the  plate  a  very  thorough 
washing  under  the  tap,  and  then  bleach  it  in  the  following 
solution  : — 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


107 


Potass,  bichromate     . .        . .        . .        2|  drs. 

Water  . .    3|  ozs. 

Nitric  acid  (chemically  pure)  .  .        If  „ 

Dilute  before  use  with  15  parts  of  water. 

Wash  the  plate  once  more  after  this  bleaching  operation, 
and  resensitise  it  by  flowing  over  it  repeatedly,  in  a  dish  or 
whilst  held  in  the  hand,  the  following  alkaline  solution  : — 

Water .  .        .  .        .  .        . .        7  ozs. 

Ammonia  bromide    . .        . .        1  drm. 

Liq.  ammonia  fort.  .  .  .  .  1  drm.  8  minims. 
The  plate  is  now  exposed  to  brilliant  white  light  for 
from  two  to  six  seconds,  and  is  redeveloped  with  the  same 
ferrous-oxalate  solution  which  was  used  in  an  earlier  stage 
of  the  process.  After  another  washing,  the  negative  is 
fixed  in  the  usual  manner,  and  cleared  if  necessary  with 
acid  and  alum.  It  may  be  noted  here  that  a  reversed 
negative  will  result  if  the  two  films  during  the  first  exposure 
in  the  enlarging  apparatus  are  so  placed  that  they  face 
one  another.  Reversed  negatives  so  produced  would  be 
invaluable  if  the  subsequent  positives  are  to  be  made  by 
the  carbon  method.  But  for  other  methods  of  printing  a 
reversed  negative  is  not  required,  and  therefore  the  original 
must  during  exposure  be  placed  with  its  back  towards  the 
larger  plate,  or  the  latter  must  turn  its  back  to  the 
original. 

This  process  in  careful  hands  will  yield  an  enlarged 
negative,  which  cannot  easily  be  excelled,  but  it  requires 
practice  and  very  careful  attention  to  details.  The  longer 
the  time  occupied  in  applying  the  ammonia  solution  to  the 
large  plate  the  more  sensitive  it  will  become.    But  it  is 


108 


EVENING  WORK  FOft 


quite  impossible  to  give  more  definite  directions  than  I 
already  have  as  to  time  of  secondary  exposure.  This  must 
be  learnt  by  the  experience  which  will  be  gained  after  the 
sacrifice  of  a  few  plates. 

If  the  bromide  paper  process  had  not  been  introduced,  it  is 
doubtful  whether  the  work  of  enlarging  photographs  would 
have  come  within  the  powers  of  the  ordinary  amateur,  for 
all  other  processes  by  which  magnified  pictures  can  be 
obtained — if  we  except  those  within  camera  size — are  either 
complex  in  their  nature,  or  they  entail  apparatus  of  an  expen- 
sive and  cumbrous  description.  But  the  bromide  process 
came  to  hand  in  the  nick  of  time,  and  just  when  amateurs 
were  being  tempted  to  take  up  photography  as  a  pastime 
by  the  ease  and  cleanliness  of  working  which  the  gelatine 
plate  inaugurated.  The  bromide  paper  process  is  easy  to 
work,  and  in  no  part  of  it  need  the  amateur  fear  any 
difficulty  if  he  will  only  use  ordinary  precautions  with 
regard  to  light  access,  exposure,  and  cleanliness  in  his  mani- 
pulations. Under  such  conditions  he  will  be  able  to  pro- 
duce from  the  smallest  sized  negatives  pictures  of  which  he 
need  not  be  ashamed,  and  which  will  reveal  beauties  that 
were  not  suspected  to  lurk  in  the  original. 

The  paper  as  now  manufactured  is  so  perfect  that  the 
amateur  can  start  with  the  work  with  full  confidence  in  the 
material  with  which  he  is  about  to  deal.  It  was  not  so  in 
the  early  days  of  bromide  paper,  for  the  makers  had  then 
much  difficulty  in  finding  a  support  for  the  emulsion  which 
while  possessing  the  necessary  qualities  as  to  toughness, 
etc.,  was  free  from  deleterious  matter  which  acted  upon  the 
dedicate  chemical  coating.    Hence  it  was  then  common  for 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


109 


pictures  taken  by  this  method  to  present  all  kinds  of 
blemishes.  Sometimes  a  p:cture  would  develop  rightly,  and 
would  afterwards  become  afflicted  with  an  obstinate  attack 
of  measles  without  any  discoverable  cause.  I  fancy  that 
many  of  the  faults  exhibited  by  the  original  material  were 
traceable  to  the  circumstance  that  a  far  larger  proportion 
of  gelatine  was  employed  as  a  vehicle  for  the  sensitive  salt 
than  was  actually  required,  and  certainly  far  more  than  is 
employed  in  modern  bromide  paper.  The  paper  as  so  m  as 
it  was  wetted  became  slippery  and  unpleasant  to  the  touch, 
and  the  gelatine  surface  was  very  easily  abraded.  At  the 
present  time  the  gelatine  is  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and  I 
fancy  that  little  more  is  used  than  is  necessary  to  bind  the 
particles  of  silver  bromide  together,  and  to  cause  the  emul- 
sion to  now  over  the  rollers  during  the  coating  operation. 

To  obtain  a  really  satisfactory  enlargement  upon  bromide 
paper  requires  care  and  some  exercise  of  judgment.  A 
thin  and  clear  negative,  of  the  kind  which  would  not  yield 
a  very  good  print  on  albumenised  paper,  is  just  the  sort  to 
pick  out  for  enlargement.  Dense  or  very  yellow  negatives, 
which  afford  no  difficulty  in  the  ordinary  printing  frame, 
are,  on  the  other  hand,  likely  to  yield  hard  black  and  white 
pictures  when  enlarged.  Development  can  be  brought 
about  with  either  ferrous  oxalate,  hydroquinone,  or  the 
new  agent  eikonogen.  Some  say  that  the  last  named  will 
gradually  displace  the  other  two,  but  I  myself  have  obtained 
such  first-class  results  with  the  iron  developer,  that  for  the 
present  I  shall  continue  to  use  it  in  my  own  practice. 

In  using  this  ferrous-oxalate  developer,  a  common  mis- 
take is  to  employ  too  much  of  the  iron  salt.    (I  am  assum- 


no 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


ing  here  that  the  amateur  compounds  his  own  developer, 
by  mixing  saturated  solutions  of  potash  oxalate  and  iron 
protosulphate  together.)  In  developing  a  plate  so  as  to 
produce  a  negative,  the  proportions  generally  recommended 
are  four  parts  of  oxalate  to  one  of  iron,  with  a  liberal 
amount  of  soluble  bromide.  This  will  not  do  for  developing 
enlargements  on  paper,  except  under  unusual  conditions. 
The  proportion  of  iron  to  oxalate  which  I  have  found  to 
work  best  is  one  of  iron  to  eight  of  oxalate,  the  iron  being 
added  to  the  oxalate,  and  not  vice  versa.  Some  workers  do 
not  care  to  employ  any  soluble  bromide,  but  I  think  that  it 
is  a  wise  precaution  to  add  a  mere  trace  to  the  mixed  deve- 
loper, for  its  presence  tends  to  keep  the  whites  pure.  This 
comparatively  weak  developer  will  allow  the  operator  to 
give  a  liberal  exposure,  and  this  is  necessary  to  secure  a 
good  black  tone  in  the  finished  picture.  When  the  image 
is  well  developed — and  the  action  must  not  be  allowed  to  go 
too  far,  for  the  colour  deepens  in  the  fixing  bath — the  deve- 
loper is  poured  off  and  the  print  is  flooded,  without  previous 
washing,  with  water  acidulated  with  acetic  acid — strength, 
acid,  \  oz.  to  a  pint  and  a-half  of  water.  The  paper 
picture  must  be  next  thoroughly  washed,  and  finally  fixed 
in  the  hypo  bath — strength,  3|  ounces  to  1  pint  of  water. 
Allow  the  print  to  remain  in  the  fixing  bath  for  at  least 
fifteen  minutes,  and  take  care,  if  two  or  three  prints 
are  being  fixed  at  the  same  time  in  one  dish,  that  they  are 
constantly  moved,  so  that  one  shall  not  prevent  the  salt 
attacking  another  upon  which  it  rests.  When  fixation  is 
complete,  the  paper  appears  translucent  when  held  up  to 
the  light,  but  should  any  trace  of  cloudiness  be  apparent 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


Ill 


it  must  go  back  to  the  bath  until  the  paper  becomes 
clear. 

A  word  of  caution  is  necessary  here.  If  the  paper  print 
be  left  in  the  fixing  bath  for  an  extravagantly  long  period, 
the  hypo  will  begin  to  attack  the  image  itself,  and  the  deli- 
cate details  which  form  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the 
picture  will  quickly  disappear,  never  to  return.  This 
destructive  action  is  quicker  when  a  very  small  quantity  of 
liquid  is  being  used,  and  the  surface  of  the  paper  in  conse- 
quence gets  exposed  to  the  air  while  still  in  the  bath.  In 
former  years  it  was  frequently  my  lot  to  demonstrate  in 
public  the  method  of  exposing  and  developing  a  bromide 
enlargement,  and  on  one  or  two  occasions  while  my  attention 
happened  to  be  absorbed  upon  other  matters,  a  print  which 
had  been  left  too  long  in  the  hypo  bath  was  spoilt  in  the 
manner  indicated.  It  is  possible  that  this  accident  may 
not  occur  with  all  makes  of  bromide  paper,  but  I  give  a 
word  of  caution  with  reference  to  it,  and  am  induced  to  do 
so  because  I  have  never  yet  seen  in  print  the  peculiarity  re- 
ferred to. 

Many  amateurs  have  told  me  that  they  have  not  tried  to 
enlarge  their  pictures  because  they  have  no  dishes  suitable 
for  the  work,  and  the  price  of  large  ones  is  prohibitive  to  them. 
It  is  true  that  the  larger  sizes  are  expensive  to  buy,  but 
it  so  happens  that  they  can  be  made  at  home  cheaply 
enough  if  the  amateur  can  only  do  the  work  himself.  The 
carpentry  which  the  making  of  a  dish  involves  is  in  truth 
so  simple  that  it  seems  hardly  necessary  to  employ  a  pro- 
fessional hand  to  do  the  work.  Let  me  now  give  a  few 
hints  on  the  subject, 


112 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


Dishes  can  be  made  in  various  ways,  and  some  methods 
are  far  more  simple  than  others.    For  instance,  a  good 
serviceable  dish  can  be  made  of  waterproof  (Willesden) 
paper,  the  edges  being  turned  up  and  the  corners  held 
together  with  strong  letters  clips.    But  this  description  of 
dish,  if  of  large  size,  should  stand  upon  a  flat  board,  so  that 
its  centre  shall  not  sag  and  get  out  of  shape.    A  really  flat 
surface  for  the  bottom  of  the  dish  is,  in  fact,  for  paper 
enlargements  almost  a  necessity,  for  the  wet  paper  will  cling 
thereon,  and  the  dish  can  be  moved  at  any  angle  to  coax  the 
developer  over  the  paper  without  fear  of  the  latter  falling 
off.  Of  course,  dishes  can  be  made  of  wood,  and  then  covered 
with  a  wateipioof  coating.    A  really  good  dish  can  be 
made  in  this  way,  of  pine,  with  a  lining  of  mackintosh 
cloth.    Or,  if  the  carpentry  be  of  a  trustworthy  character, 
the  wood  can  be  painted  with  some  composition  which  will 
render  it  waterproof.    The  best  compound  for  this  purpose 
is  gas  tar,  laid  on  sparingly  with  a  brush  while  boiling  hot. 
This  is  by  no  means  a  pleasant  stuff  to  work  with,  and  in 
case  of  danger  from  fire  the  work  should  be  done  out  of 
doors.    A  dish  so  prepared  will  not  be  ready  for  some  days, 
for  gas  tar  has  a  tende  cy  to  remain  sticky. 

In  the  photographic  year-books  a  waterproofing  com- 
pound for  dishes  has  been  constantly  published  among  the 
formulae,  consisting  of  a  mixture  of  resin  and  beeswax. 
This  I  have  tried,  and  found  it  difficult  to  apply  and  very 
brittle  in  use.  It  forms,  moreover,  a  soap  with  any  salt  of 
soda,  so  that  a  dish  so  prepared  and  used  for  a  fixing  bath 
leads  to  mess  and  trouble.  A  far  better  mixture  to  use  is 
asphaltum  dissolved  in  naphtha,  a  dish  so  treated  remaining 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


113 


for  many  years  without  alteration.  For  my  part  I  prefer, 
above  all  other  kinds  of  dishes,  one  with  a  flat  glass  bottom. 
They  are  not  difficult  to  make,  and  I  have  several  which 
have  been  in  use  for  all  kinds  of  purposes  for  many  years. 
The  sides  of  such  a  dish  consist  of  f  inch  pine,  two  inches 
in  depth,  with  a  \  inch  groove  cut  along  one  face  half  an 
inch  from  the  edge.  This  is  for  the  reception  of  the  bottom, 
which  is  made  of  thick  glass,  known  in  the  trade  as 


"  32  ounce  sheet."  It  is  cemented  into  the  groove  with  a 
mixture  of  white  and  red  lead  in  oil,  and  after  the  sides 
are  tacked  together,  the  woodwork  is  waterproofed  with 
any  one  of  the  mixtures  just  given. 

In  order  to  make  my  remarks  clear  concerning  the  con- 
struction of  these  large  glass-bottomed  dishes,  I  here  offer 
a  diagram  (fig.  43),  which  is  a  sectional  view  of  one  of  the 
sides  with  the  glass  bottom  inserted  in  its  groove  as  already 
explained.    In  making  this  form  of  dish  it  is  as  well  to 


Fig.  44. 


114 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


place  the  glass  in  situ,  and  to  see  that  the  corners  will  come 
together  nicely  before  any  cement  is  applied  to  the  groove. 
If  this  should  be  the  case,  it  will  then  be  time  to  fill  in 
the  groove  with  its  mixture  of  white  and  red  lead,  a  large 
portion  of  which  will  be  forced  out  as  the  glass  is  firmly 
pushed  into  its  place.  This  superfluous  stuff  should  be 
neatly  removed  and  finished  off  with  a  knife  when  the 
wooden  frame  has  been  joined  together.  A  first-rate 
carpenter  will,  of  course,  use  a  dovetail  join  here,  but  I 
prefer  to  simply  pin  the  woodwork  together  with  French 
nails,  for  should  the  glass  bottom  be  at  some  future  time 
broken,  it  can  then  be  easily  replaced  by  forcing  asunder 
the  corners  of  the  dish.  There  is  no  kind  of  strain  upon  the 
woodwork,  and  the  nails  wrill  be  found  all-sufficient. 

A  still  simpler  form  of  dish  can  be  arranged  as  a  make- 
shift out  of  four  laths  placed  as  shown  in  fig.  44.  It  is 
obvious  that  laths  so  placed  can  be  made  to  form  a 
rectangular  frame  of  any  size.  The  laths  should  be  arranged 
as  shown  to  suit  the  dimensions  of  the  paper  enlargement, 
and  should  rest  on  a  moveable  flat  surface,  such  as  a  drawing 
board.  After  exposure,  the  paper  should  be  thoroughly 
wetted,  drained,  and  laid  face  upwards,  so  that  the  four 
edges  just  lap  over  the  laths.  The  paper  will  now  form  its  own 
dish,  and  the  supporting  board  can  be  raised  and  inclined  at 
any  slope  so  as  to  coax  the  developer  in  any  required 
direction.  This  plan  is,  of  course,  a  makeshift,  and  has  its 
disadvantages,  but  it  is  worthy  of  mention  here  as  a  means 
which  may  be  adopted  when  no  better  one  is  available. 

With  regard  to  the  method  of  supporting  the  paper  in 
front  of  and  square  with  the  enlarging  lens,  little  need  be 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


115 


said.  Any  form  of  upright  easel  which  will  bear  a  board 
upon  which  the  paper  can  be  pinned  during  exposure,  will 
answer  the  purpose,  and  perfection  of  arrangement  is 
reached  when  this  easel  can  be  made  to  travel  on  rails  or  laths 
attached  to  the  floor,  to  and  from  the  lens.  In  this  way 
the  scale  of  enlargement  is  increased  or  diminished  at 
pleasure.  A  square  box  with  an  upright  board  nailed  to 
one  of  its  sides,  and  projecting  upwards  for  four  or  five  feet, 
is  as  good  as  anything  that  can  be  devised.  The  box  can  be 
made  to  run  between  two  guiding  laths  on  the  floor,  and 
the  upright  board  will  form  a  vertical  easel.  The  paper 
can  be  readily  attached  to  the  board  by  means  of  ladies' 
bonnet  pins,  which  are  far  more  easy  to  handle  in  a 
darkened  room  than  are  the  usual  flat-headed  drawing 
pins. 

It  may  be  thought  that  there  is  some  difficulty  in  attach- 
ing a  gelatine  plate  to  this  form  of  upright  easel  when  it  is 
desired  to  produce  an  enlarged  negative  instead  of  a  posi- 
tive on  paper.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  the  matter  ;  indeed, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  attachment  of  a  glass  plate  to 
the  surface  is  easier  than  pinning  up  a  sheet  of  paper  in  the 
same  place.  By  driving  into  the  board  three  2-in.  French 
nails  in  the  positions  shown  in  fig.  45,  taking  care  that  they 
all  incline  inwards — that  is,  towards  the  centre  of  the 
board — a  glass  plate  can  be  supported  with  ease  and  safety. 
The  two  lower  nails  serve  as  a  shelf  to  rest  the  edge  of  the 
glass  upon,  and  the  single  nail  above,  against  which  the  right- 
hand  upper  edge  is  placed,  keeps  it  from  tumbling  forwards. 
This  clever  little  dodge  I  saw  in  practice  at  the  Richmond 
works  of  Messrs.  Morgan  and  Kidd,  who  fasten  up  large 


116 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


opal  plates  in  this  manner  during  exposure.  This  simple 
expedient  is  of  service  in  another  way.  Let  us  suppose,  for 
instance,  that  an  enlarged  negative  shows  during  develop- 
ment that  it  has  not  received  sufficient  exposure.  The  de- 
veloper is  washed  off,  and  the  negative  can  once  more  be 
placed  under  the  influence  of  the  lens,  and,  provided  that 
no  part  of  the  enlarging  apparatus  has  been  shifted,  its 
place  on  the  three  nails  will  bring  it  into  the  exact  position 


1 

s 

mm 

H! 

Will 

s 

! 

IL 

II 

i 

"  S 

Fig.  45. 

with  regard  to  the  lens  which  it  occupied  in  the  first 
instance.  Partial  development  has,  it  is  true,  robbed  the 
film  of  fifty  per  cent,  of  its  sensitiveness,  but  it  is  still 
sensitive  for  all  that,  and  the  extra  exposure  will  quickly 
tell  under  re-development. 

Another  point  may  usefully  be  considered  here  in  the 
addition  of  clouds  to  a  landscape  the  negative  of  which  is 
dense  and  opaque.  The  method  to  which  I  am  about  to 
refer  is  applicable  to  a  positive  on  paper,  or  on  opal  or 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


117 


plain  glass,  and  I  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  ap« 
plied  to  the  production  of  an  enlarged  negative  from  a  small 
positive.  But  the  principle  is  best  explained  if  I  suppose  for 
the  nonce  that  it  is  desired  to  finish  a  positive  on  opal  plate 
with  clouds  from  a  separate  negative.  The  clouds  must,  of 
course,  be  suitable  to  the  landscape  in  question,  and  this 
matter  has  been  fully  dealt  with  in  a  previous  page.  The 
plate  having  been  supported  on  the  easel  upon  the  three 
nails,  receives  the  normal  exposure,  and  is  then  developed.  De- 
velopment is  only  allowed  to  proceed  to  a  certain  point,  when 
the  plate  is  placed  under  the  tap  and  is  rinsed  and  drained. 
It  is  now  replaced  upon  the  supporting  nails,  and  while 
the  half-developed  landscape  is  kept  shielded  by  a  card 
from  the  action  of  the  lens,  a  cloud  negative  is  allowed  to 
trace  its  image  on  the  blank  upper  portion  of  the  plate. 
This  second  exposure  having  been  carried  on  to  a  sufficient 
point,  the  plate  is  once  more  developed,  and  as  the  landscape 
portion  acquires  full  density,  the  clouds  gradually  make 
their  appearance.  This  method  of  working  is  most  success- 
ful, and  is  in  daily  operation  at  those  same  works  at 
Richmond  where  I  learnt  the  little  dodge  with  the  three 
French  nails. 

Many  forms  of  enlarging  apparatus  are  now  supplied  by 
different  makers,  and  although  they  differ  in  detail,  they 
are  necessarily  the  same  in  principle,  and  take  the  form  of 
an  optical  lantern  with  a  large  condensing  lens.  Anyone 
who  already  possesses  a  lens  suitable  for  enlarging  can,  by 
investing  in  a  large  condenser  and  a  good  three  or  four 
inch  lamp  burning  mineral  oil,  rig  up  an  enlarging 
apparatus  for  himself  which  will  do  good  work.    The  best 


118 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


form  of  lens  to  employ  is  one  of  the  portrait  variety,  for  it 
is  quick  in  action,  and  when  we  are  dealing  with  a  com- 
paratively subdued  light,  like  that  given  by  oil,  the  expo- 
sure becomes  very  protracted  if  we  use  other  forms  of  lenses. 
The  Euryscope  is  but  little  behind  the  portrait  lens  in  the 
matter  of  speed,  and  I  have  found  it  invaluable  for  the 
present  purpose. 

In  fig.  46  I  have  endeavoured  to  picture  the  way  in  which 


Fig.  46. 


the  various  parts  of  the  suggested  rough-and-ready  enlarg- 
ing apparatus  can  be  arranged.  On  the  right  hand  side  of 
the  figure  is  the  lamp,  and  against  it  is  the  double  condenser, 
set  for  convenience  in  a  wooden  block.  On  the  same  block, 
on  the  side  farthest  from  the  lantern,  are  grooves  to  hold 
the  negative  which  is  to  yield  an  enlarged  positive  on  the 
distant  easel,  and  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  figure  is  the 
enlarging  lens,   fitted  to   a  camera.     In  practice,  of 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


119 


course,  all  these  different  parts  will  require  adjustment 
according  to  the  focus  of  the  lenses  employed  and  the 
amount  of  magnification  to  which  the  image  is  subjected 
Supposing  that  the  operator  elects  to  employ  such  a  com- 
bination as  suggested,  his  work  should  first  of  all  be  strictly 
experimental.  Let  him  decide  upon  the  size  of  the  image 
which  he  requires,  and  place  the  various  component  parts  of 
the  apparatus  upon  a  flat  board.  He  can  then  light  the 
lamp,  fix  a  negative  in  the  groove  provided  for  it,  and 
rig  up  a  sheet  of  cardboard  to  receive  its  image.  The  first 
requisite  is  to  obtain  a  clear  disc  of  light,  which  is  only 
possible  when  both  lenses  are  accurately  centred  with  the 
flame  of  the  lamp.  Both  condenser  and  camera  will  pro- 
bably require  support  upon  pieces  of  wood  before  the  right 
position  is  obtained.  Next,  the  distance  of  lamp  from  con- 
denser, and  objective  from  condenser,  must  be  seen  to,  and 
when  both  are  in  place,  their  position  should  be  marked 
upon  the  base-board  for  future  reference.  The  tables 
relating  to  enlargement  will  be  useful,  and  can  easily  be 
found  by  reference  to  the  annuals. 

If,  from  the  particular  form  of  lamp  employed,  dispersed 
light  should  make  itself  troublesome,  a  sheet  of  cardboard 
with  a  hole  in  it,  through  which  can  project  the  camera 
lens,  will  form  an  efficient  screen,  or  with  a  little  ingenuity 
the  entire  arrangement  can  be  boxed  in.  A  square  box 
with  the  lens  fitted  to  it  will  answer  the  purpose  of  the 
camera,  and  the  lens  should  have,  if  possible,  a  rack-and- 
pinion  adjustment  for  the  purpose  of  delicate  focussing. 
Exposure  should  form  the  subject  of  many  trial  slips  of 
paper,  for  it  is  quite  impossible  to  give  any  useful  infor- 


120 


EVENING  WORK. 


mation  upon  the  point,  so  much  do  the  bromide  papers  of 
commerce  differ  in  their  rapidity. 

Where  unusually  large  pictures  are  required,  the  oil 

lantern  is  not  a  desirable  illuminant,  for  the  exposure 
required  is  enormous.    In  such  a  case  the  worker  will  do 

well  to  employ  the  limelight,  which  can  easily  be  adjusted 
to  the  same  form  of  apparatus. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


PHOTOGRAPHY  BY  MAGNESIUM  LIGHT. 

OT  by  any  means  a  new  thing  is  portraiture 
by  the  aid  of  the  highly  actinic  light  afforded 
by  burning  magnesium.  So  long  ago  as  the 
year  1865  it  was  proposed  to  use  the  metal 
magnesium  in  much  the  same  way  that  it  is 
used  now,  that  is  to  say,  for  flash-light  purposes.  But  there 
are  two  reasons  why  the  suggestion  was  not  taken  up 
with  alacrity,  one  being  that  the  metal  was  at  that  time 
a  very  costly  article,  and  the  other  reason  being  that 
the  amateur  photographer  was  almost  unknown,  and  pro- 
fessionals were  too  busy  in  other  ways  to  trouble  them- 
selves much  about  a  mere  matter  of  experimental  interest. 
Nowadays  flash-light  photography  has  become  so  common 
that  it  would  not  be  an  exaggeration  to  affirm  that  tons  of 
the  silvery  magnesium  powder  are  dissipated  in  light  and 
vapour  during  the  winter  season  in  this  country  alone. 
It  is  certain,  too,  that  many  use  the  metal  as  a  help  to 
daylight  on  those  dull  days  with  which  all  are  familiar, 


122 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


except  those  who  have  the  good  fortune  to  live  out  of  range 
of  city  chimney  pots. 

Magnesium  was  first  used  as  a  help  to  photography  in  the 
form  of  wire  or  ribbon,  and  lamps  were  made  in  which  it 
could  be  conveniently  burnt.  In  the  official  report  on  the 
Paris  Exhibition  of  1867  I  find  the  following  reference  to 
the  use  of  such  lamps :  "  The  newly  discovered  metal, 
magnesium,  by  the  brilliancy  and  whiteness  of  its  combustion, 
resembling  sunlight,  has  enabled  photographers  to  secure 
pictures  in  vaults  and  other  places  inaccessible  to  ordinary 
light.  It  has  also  been  made  to  supply  the  place  of  the  sun 
itself  in  the  solar  microscope,  or  enlarging  apparatus  con- 
structed on  the  same  principle.  In  order  to  ensure  its 
steady  combustion,  lamps  have  been  contrived  to  secure  the 
gradual  supply  of  a  ribbon  or  wire  of  the  metal.  Mr. 
Solomon,  in  England,  exhibits  a  very  convenient  apparatus. 
The  trial  before  the  jurors  was  perfect.  In  Austria  is  a 
smaller  but  similar  lamp  for  the  same  purpose." 

The  Commissioners  who  are  responsible  for  this  report  are 
certainly  wrong  in  speaking  of  the  metal  as  being  "  newly 
discovered,"  for  its  discovery  was  made  at  the  very  beginning 
of  the  century  by  Sir  Humphrey  Davy.  But  as  that  great 
investigator  only  produced  it  in  very  small  quantities,  it 
could  not  form  the  subject  of  much  experiment  until  by  the 
labours  of  others  it  was  brought  within  the  commercial 
horizon.  Solomon's  magnesium  lamp  seems  to  have  been 
the  prototype  of  a  number  which  have  since  been  devised  on 
precisely  the  same  lines,  possibly  by  inventors  who  never 
saw  the  original.  It  consisted  of  a  metal  box  containing  a 
train  of  clockwork,  which  fed  the  metallic  ribbon  between 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


123 


rollers  into  a  spout,  which  delivered  ib  at  the  focus  of  a 
parabolic  reflector. 

Another  form  of  lamp  of  about  the  same  date  as  that  of 
Solomon,  is  one  devised  by  Larkin,  to  burn  the  powdered 
metal.  The  means  by  which  this  was  accomplished  were 
very  ingenious,  but  quite  different  to  the  flash  method  with 
which  we  are  all  more  familiar.  The  principal  feature  of 
the  lamp  was  a  hopper,  or  containing  vessel,  which  was 
charged  with  the  magnesium  powder  mixed  with  a  certain 
quantity  of  silver  sand,  so  as  to  help  it  in  its  flow — hour- 
glass fashion — through  a  small  orifice.  This  orifice  could 
be  opened  or  closed  by  the  action  of  a  conical  plug  which 
was  affixed  to  a  lever  action.  When  this  lever  was  de- 
pressed, the  orifice  was  uncovered  and  the  powder  fell  in  a 
steady  stream  on  to  the  flame  of  a  spirit  lamp  beneath,  so 
that  as  long  as  the  hopper  remained  open,  and  the  store  of 
magnesium  and  sand  was  not  exhausted,  a  brilliant  flood  of 
light  was  given  out  by  the  lamp.  That  this  light  could  be 
depended  upon  is  proved  to  some  extent  by  the  circumstance 
that  two  lamps  constructed  on  this  principle  were  used  at  a 
meeting  of  the  British  Association  to  light  up  a  refreshment 
tent  and  its  attached  garden. 

Magnesium  was  used  for  another  purpose  about  the  year 
1878,  when  Captain  Colomb  invented  an  ingenious  form  of 
flashing  lamp  for  army  and  navy  signalling.  This  consisted 
of  a  spirit  lamp  below  which  was  a  box  containing  a  mixture 
of  powdered  resin,  magnesium,  and  lycopodium.  From  this 
box  proceeded  two  bent  delivery  tubes,  the  ends  of  which 
pointed  directly  towards  the  burning  wick.  Another  pipe 
was  also  connected  with  the  interior  of  the  box,  and  this 


124 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


was  furnished  with  a  long  india-rubber  tube  crowned  with  a 
mouth-piece.  For  signalling  purposes  the  operator  had 
to  blow  through  this  tube,  so  as  to  make  long  or 
short  flashes  at  will  and  thus  spell  out  any  message  by  the 
Morse  alphabet. 

Soon  after  the  introduction  of  this  flash  lamp,  which 
worked  most  perfectly  and  would  doubtless  have  come  into 
common  use  for  naval  purposes  if  it  had  not  been  superseded 
by  electricity,  I  made  a  model  lamp  of  very  simple  form  in 
order  to  demonstrate  the  principle  of  these  short  and  long 


Fig.  47. 

flashes  at  the  lecture  table.  My  flash  lamp  consisted  of  a 
wooden  rod,  two  feet  long,  cut  from  a  broom  handle.  To 
the  top  of  this  rod  I  fastened  with  a  single  French  nail,  a 
piece  of  sponge,  and  just  below  the  top  I  bound  on  to  the 
rod  a  penny  tin  pepper-box.  The  diagram  of  the  apparatus 
(fig.  47)  will  make  its  construction  clear.  The  box  was 
charged  with  the  flash  powder,  as  in  Captain  Colomb's  lamp, 
and  the  sponge  was  soaked  in  methylated  spirit,  squeezed, 
and  then  ignited.  Holding  the  rod  at  arm's  length,  I  then 
gave  it  a  rapid  sweep  through  the  air,  with  the  result  that 
the  powder  was  scattered  out  from  the  pepper-box  and  made 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


125 


a  brilliant  arc  of  light.  I  believe  that  a  torch  constructed 
on  this  principle  would  be  serviceable  in  photography,  and 
I  threw  out  the  suggestion  a  short  time  back  in  an  American 
photographic  publication.  The  cost  of  the  contrivance  is 
next  to  nothing,  and  it  will  yield  a  flash  of  long  or  short 
duration,  as  may  be  required.  With  this  reference  to  my 
rough-and-ready  magnesium  torch,  I  will  close  what  may  be 
termed  the  historical  part  of  my  subject. 

The  revival  of  the  flash-light  principle  for  photographic 
purposes  seems  to  be  due  to  Dr.  Yogel,  who  had  experimented 
with  a  certain  powder  prepared  by  Gaedicke,  with  which  he 
was  successful  jn  taking  portraits  by  night.  This  powder 
seems  to  have  consisted  of  a  mixture  of  magnesium,  potassic 
chlorate,  and  antimonious  sulphide.  This  is  a  needlessly 
dangerous  mixture,  which  will  not  only  explode  by  heat, 
but,  like  other  compounds  containing  sulphur  and  chlorate, 
will  fire  with  explosive  violence  by  slight  friction  or  percus- 
sion. Indeed,  a  mixture  of  antimony  and  chlorate  was  used 
in  the  old  days  for  charging  the  percussion  caps  used  for 
small  arms.  It  is  not  very  easy  to  see  what  use  the  sul- 
phur serves  in  a  flash-light  mixture,  except,  perhaps,  as  an 
aid  to  rapid  combustion.  The  chlorate  will  fire  without  it, 
especially  if  it  have  a  little  carbon  added  to  it  in  the  form 
of  powdered  loaf  sugar.  Dr.  PifFard,  whose  name  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  revival  of  the  flash-light  system  in  New 
York,  advocated,  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Amateur  Photo- 
graphic Society  of  that  city,  the  use  of  gunpowder  with  the 
magnesium,  in  the  proportion  of  one  volume  of  the  former 
to  four  of  the  latter.  I  have  tried  this  mixture  with  very 
unsatisfactory  results,  and  am  certain  that  most  of  the  pow 


126 


EVENING  WORK  FOtt 


dered  metal  gets  blown  away  without  ignition.  The  flash 
is  certainly  far  from  being  as  actinic  as  one  would  expect 
from  the  quality  of  magnesium  employed,  and  the  smoke 
given  off  quickly  fills  a  large  room,  to  the  great  annoyance  of 
the  dwellers  therein. 

Far  better  results  can  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  gun- 
cotton.  The  cotton  should  be  of  the  explosive  variety,  and 
of  such  a  quality  that  when  a  small  tuft  of  it  is  placed  on 
the  palm  of  the  outstretched  hand  and  ignited,  it  will  flash 
off  without  leaving  any  residue,  and  will  fire  so  instanta- 
neously that  there  is  no  burning  sensation  to  the  skin.  For 
flash-light  photography  about  fifteen  grains  of  magnesium 
should  be  scattered  over  a  tuft  of  cotton  weighing  about  ten 
grains,  which  has  been  pulled  out  so  as  to  cover  the  largest 
possible  area.  The  cotton  may  be  placed  upon  a  saucer,  or 
an  old  tray,  and  ignited  with  a  long  taper.  Some  have  com- 
plained that  the  yellow  colour  of  the  flame  given  by  the 
burning  cotton  partly  neutralizes  the  actinic  quality  of  that 
of  the  magnesium,  but  I  hardly  think  that  this  contention 
is  tangible.  The  cotton  is  simply  used  as  a  convenient  means 
of  giving  the  initial  force  to  the  magnesium,  which  it  does 
both  by  scattering  it  in  the  air,  and  at  the  same  time  ignit- 
ing it.  Whatever  kind  of  flame  we  use  for  the  purposes, 
we  may  assume  that  to  some  totally  inappreciable  extent  it 
may  counteract  by  its  colour  the  actinism  of  the  burning 
metal.  Still,  I  consider  that  for  other  reasons  gun-cotton 
is  not  the  best  means  of  firing  magnesium,  but  its  simplicity 
will  always  commend  it  to  those  who  only  want  to  use  the 
light  occasionally  and  may  not  have  more  convenient  methods 
readily  available. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


127 


There  is  an  unwritten  law  that  seems  to  be  scrupulously 
observed  by  otherwise  unscrupulous  traders,  which  runs 
thus — "  Thou  shalt  commit  adulteration.''  This  law  is, 
unhappily,  of  such  universal  application  that  even  magne- 
sium powder  has  not  escaped  its  influence.  Some  of  its 
adherents  have  noticed  that  magnesium  is  an  expensive 
metal,  and  that  zinc,  which  when  filed  to  dust  cannot  readily 
be  distinguished  from  it,  is  conveniently  cheap,  It  is  of 
course  only  natural  that  the  zinc  should  by  accident  get  mixed 
with  the  magnesium,  and  confounded  with  the  latter.  It  is 
therefore  as  well  that  the  buyer  should  be  aware  of  this 
sophistication,  and  be  careful  to  go  to  a  trader  who  is  above 
such  dealings.  I  believe  that  magnesium  wire  and  ribbon 
is  sometimes  alloyed  with  a  small  percentage  of  zinc,  so  as 
to  correct  its  natural  brittleness,  just  as  our  coinage  is  alloyed 
with  baser  metals  with  an  equally  legitimate  object,  but  no 
such  excuse  can  be  pleaded  for  tampering  with  the  metallic 
dust,  which  for  flash-light  purposes  should  be  as  pure  as 
possible  Magnesium  should  be  kept  perfectly  dry  and  in  a 
well  corked  bottle,  for  it  quickly  tarnishes  in  the  air,  and 
when  so  tarnished  it  loses  much  of  its  radiant  quality. 

The  metal  magnesium,  although  combustible  when  in  the 
form  of  ribbon,  is  when  powdered  not  easily  inflamed,  the  heat 
from  a  burning  match  being  hardly  sufficient  to  bring  it  to 
the  point  of  incandescence.  Apply  a  match  to  a  little  heap 
of  the  powdered  metal,  and  as  the  fire  sluggishly  runs  from 
particle  to  particle,  it  will  feebly  glow,  without  any  sign  of 
its  wonted  brilliance.  But  scatter  the  same  amount  of 
powder  in  a  suitable  flame,  and  we  immediately  have  a 
blinding  light,  and  something  after  the  nature  of  an  explo- 


128 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


sion.  We  may,  therefore,  look  upon  powdered  magnesium 
as  being  inert  until  its  particles  are  separated  in  the  air, 
when  it  at  once  becomes  explosive. 

It  is  only  within  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  that  what 
are  called  dust  explosions  have  been  made  the  subject  of 
study  and  experiment.  Attention  was  first  called  to  the 
matter  by  certain  mysterious  explosions  by  which  flour  and 
other  mills  had  been  totally  wrecked,  or  set  on  fire.  En- 
quiry soon  showed  that  these  occurrences  were  due  to  flame 
reaching  dust-impregnated  air,  and  experiment  proved  that 
such  apparently  innocuous  substances  as  the  dust  from 
carpenters'  shops,  starch,  sugar,  buckwheat,  flour,  oatmeal, 
etc.,  when  in  a  state  of  minute  sub-division,  and  suspended 
in  the  air,  are  most  dangerously  explosive.  It  is  also  known 
that  fine  coal  dust  in  dry  mines  has  led  to  explosion  where 
naked  lights  are  used,  and  it  is  now  the  rule  to  keep  dry 
workings  artificially  watered.  In  America,  possibly  because 
of  the  dryness  of  the  atmosphere,  dust  explosions  have  been 
numerous,  and  have  been  attended  by  loss  of  life  and  great 
loss  of  property;  but  the  instances  in  this  country  are 
comparatively  rare.  We  may  reasonably  place  magnesium 
among  the  dusts  that  are  liable  to  explosion  when  each 
particle  is  separated  from  its  neighbour  and  is  surrounded 
by  the  diluted  oxygen  of  the  atmosphere. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  increase  the  light  of  magne- 
sium by  burning  it  in  an  atmosphere  of  pure  oxygen. 
Under  such  conditions  the  combustion  is  far  more  rapid,  and 
the  light  is  of  a  most  blinding  nature.  But  such  increase 
of  radiance  is  really  of  no  photographic  value,  for  the  light 
given  by  the  metal  burnt  in  ordinary  air  is  quite  sufficient 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


129 


to  impress  a  gelatine  plate.  I  shall  presently  show  that 
far  more  benefit  is  derived  from  increasing  the  number 
of  flashing  lamps  than  attempting  to  add  to  the  effi- 
ciency of  any  one  point  of  light,  and  even  in  these  days  of 
commercially  supplied  oxygen,  it  is  by  no  means  easy,  in  the 
absence  of  specially  contrived  apparatus,  to  burn  the  metal 
in  oxygen.  It  was  doubtless  with  a  view  to  obviate  this 
difficulty  that  various  flash-giving  powders  have  been  com- 
pounded in  which  some  salt,  rich  in  oxygen,  has 
been  associated  with  magnesium.  All  these  should  be 
regarded  with  suspicion — for  some  of  them  are  most  dan- 
gerous —  and  have  led  to  fatal  results.  As  already 
pointed  out,  chlorate  of  potash  is  a  dangerous  thing  to 
handle  if  mixed  with  any  compound  of  sulphur.  But  even 
when  mixed  with  the  magnesium  alone,  it  forms  an  explo- 
sive compound  of  such  energy  that  if  used,  in  this  way,  only 
a  very  small  portion  should  be  fired  at  one  time.  The 
greatest  caution  should  be  exercised,  too,  in  guarding  the 
hand  from  proximity  to  the  flash,  for  I  have  learnt  by 
experience  that  a  most  painful  burn  can  be  the  result  of 
carelessness  in  this  respect. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  for  photographing  interiors  of 
rooms,  the  flash  light  is  of  very  great  service,  and  by  its  aid 
we  are  sometimes  able  to  get  pictures  which  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  obtain  in  any  other  way.  It  is  easy  enough  to  get 
a  picture  of  a  room  by  daylight,  if  we  are  particular  to 
exclude  that  side  of  the  apartment  where  the  windows  are. 
But  in  some  cases  the  windows  with  their  hangings  form 
the  most  attractive  part  of  the  interior  decoration,  and  if 
they  are  excluded  the  picture  is  lacking  in  interest  and  in 


130 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


fidelity  to  the  original.  With  a  flash  light,  or  for  such  a 
purpose  with  a  slow-burning  magnesium  ribbon  lamp,  we 
are  able  to  secure  an  image  of  any  part  of  the  room  which 
we  like,  and  we  can,  within  certain  limits,  move  the  lamp 
during  exposure,  or,  in  the  case  of  a  flash-lamp,  between 
successive  exposures,  and  thus  exert  a  softening  effect  upon 
the  shadows.  I  remember  that  some  time  ago  a  flash-light 
picture  was  exhibited  which  showed  what  could  be  done  by 
judicious  arrangement  of  apparatus  of  this  kind.  The 
picture  represented  a  suite  of  rooms,  one  leading  into  the 
other,  and  the  last  terminating  in  a  conservatory.  The 
rooms  were  richly  decorated  and  handsomely  furnished, 
each  one  being  separated  from  the  other  by  portiere  curtains 
of  lace,  etc.  The  charm  of  the  photograph  was  in  the 
p  erfect  focus  of  every  part,  the  distant  conservatory  being 
as  sharply  defined  in  outline  as  the  nearest  room.  This 
was  brought  about  by  burning  magnesium  in  each  of  the 
rooms  in  succession,  and  giving,  besides  a  separate  exposure 
for  each,  a  special  adjustment  of  the  focussing  screw. 

For  special  purposes,  such  as  photographing  the  interior 
of  a  cave  or  vault  of  large  size,  where  smoke  is  not 
objected  to,  and  where  exposure  must  be  of  a  prolonged 
character  in  order  to  coax  detail  out  of  dark  corners,  some 
form  of  pyrotechnic  mixture,  of  which  powdered  magnesium 
forms  a  part,  is,  I  think,  the  best  thing  to  employ.  Here  is 
a  compound  which  will  burn  well — 

Saltpetre     . .        .  J        . .        . .    2  ozs. 

Sulphur       .  .        . .        . .  1  oz. 

Antim.  sulphide      . .        . .        .  .     J  „ 

Magnesium   . .        . .        . .  \  SJ 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


131 


This  mixture  should  be  pressed  into  large  wooden  boxes, 
such  as  are  used  for  ointments  by  druggists,  and  the  lid  can  be 
kept  on  until  the  moment  when  the  box  is  required  for  use, 
when  it  can  be  fired  with  a  slow  match  or  touch-paper.  One 
or  two  boxes  of  this  kind  will  give  a  dazzling  blaze  of  light 
for  several  seconds. 

It  is  quite  obvious  that  if  we  reject  the  plan  of  associat- 
ing the  magnesium  with  some  explosive  or  inflammable 
compound,  and  use  it  alone,  we  must  have  some  kindling 
flame  into  which  it  must  be  projected.  One  of  the  first 
plans  suggested  was  to  use  an  ordinary  argand  gas  burner 
without  a  chimney,  and  by  means  of  a  central  tube  placed 
just  within  the  ring  burner,  but  at  a  slighter  lower  level,  to 
blow  the  magnesium  dust  into  the  annular  flame.  It  was 
asserted  that  this  obviated  any  waste  of  the  metal,  the  fact 
of  the  flame  forming  a  wall  all  round  it  preventing  any 
particle  escaping.  This  I  have  found  in  practice  not  to  be 
correct,  for  after  using  such  an  arrangement  I  have  found 
particles  of  unconsumed  magnesium  lying  about  the  room 
in  abundance. 

A  far  better  source  of  heat  is  represented  by  one  of  those 
cheap  little  spirit  stoves  which  can  be  bought  for  a  few 
pence,  and  which  consists  of  a  pad  of  cotton  wool,  or  asbestos 
held  in  a  metal  disc  and  covered  over  with  brass  wire  gauze 
of  fine  mesh.  This  metallic  pad  is  saturated  with  methy- 
lated spirit,  and  when  a  light  is  applied  the  flame  given  by 
it  is  both  very  large  and  very  hot.  Magnesium  dust  pro- 
jected into  such  a  fiery  furnace  is  wholly  consumed  with 
brilliant  light.  There  is  attached  to  many  of  the  flash 
contrivances  sold  a  wire-covered  pad  of  this  description. 


132 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


I  will  now  point  out  how  by  the  aid  of  one  of  these  cheap 
spirit  stoves  or  pads  a  very  efficient  flash-light  apparatus 
can  be  made.  Procure  or  make  of  wood  or  tin  a  box  about 
two  feet  high  and  one  foot  square.  The  size  is  not  of  very 
great  importance,  but  the  box  should  at  any  rate  not  be 
smaller  than  the  measurements  given.  Bore  holes  all  round 
the  bottom  and  top  edge  so  as  to  provide  abundant  ventila- 
tion, and  if  the  box  is  of  wood,  let  the  top  at  least  be  made 
of  tin.  In  the  true  centre  of  the  bottom  of  the  box,  as  it 
stands  on  end,  describe  a  circle  which  should  be  distinctly 
coloured  or  otherwise  marked  so  that  its  place  can  be  readily 
found.  Upon  this  centre  must  stand  the  spirit  stove  on  the 
little  tripod  which  is  sold  with  it.  Immediately  over  it,  that 
is  in  the  centre  of  the  top  of  the  box,  let  there  be  a  hole 
about  two  inches  in  diameter.  The  inside  of  the  box,  if  not 
of  bright  tin,  should  be  lined  with  silver  paper  so  as  to  have 
a  good  reflecting  surface,  but  the  front  of  the  box  should  be 
furnished  with  a  frame  covered  with  tracing  cloth,  which 
can  be  put  in  its  place  just  before  the  exposure  is  made,  and 
after  the  spirit  lamp  has  been  charged  and  lighted.  Things 
being  thus  arranged,  and  the  camera  and  sitter  being  ready 
for  the  exposure,  the  slide  of  the  former  is  drawn  and  the  lens 
is  uncapped.  Now  pour  sufficient  magnesium  powder  into  a 
perfectly  dry  teaspoon.  Bring  the  teaspoon  over  the  central 
hole  in  the  top  of  the  box,  and  with  a  glance  to  see  that  all 
is  right,  simply  invert  it.  The  magnesium  is,  of  course, 
emptied  direct  into  the  flame  below,  with  its  particles  widely 
separated,  and  therefore  in  the  best  condition  for  perfect 
combustion,  and  the  result  is  a  blinding  flash  of  light 
sufficient  for  any  ordinary  exposure  in  a  small  room.  The 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


133 


object  of  the  tracing  cloth  screen  is  to  diffuse  and  soften  the 
light,  and  to  take  away  those  very  strong  contrasts  of  light 
and  shade  which  otherwise  make  themselves  objectionable 
m  this  kind  of  work.  A  reflecting  surface  should  of 
course  be  used  on  the  other  side  of  the  figure — as  in  daylight 
portraiture  in  an  ordinary  room.  This  apparatus  would  be 
brought  to  the  greatest  perfection  if  it  were  furnished  with 
a  chimney  by  which  the  smoke  could  be  carried  to  the  open 
air. 

An  ingenious  method  of  firing  the  magnesium  powder  in  a 
lantern  of  the  kind  which  I  have  described  is  given  by  an 
xlmerican  writer.  This  method  does  away  with  the  necessity 
for  a  spirit  stove,  but  is  only  available  where  there  is  gas.  It  has 
the  disadvantage  of  employing  an  explosive  in  the  shape  of 
potassic  chlorate,  but  as  this  is  not  associated  with  any  sul- 
phur compound,  it  is  not  unsafe,  provided  that  caution  is 
exercised  in  its  use.  The  mixture  suggested  is  magnesium 
one  part  by  measure,  chlorate  two  parts.  The  chlorate 
should  be  powdered  separately  and  mixed  thoroughly  with 
the  metal,  and  the  quantity  used  for  one  charge  should  not 
exceed  sixty  grains,  unless  under  exceptional  circumstances. 
The  mixture  can  be  fired  by  a  long  taper,  but  the  plan 
given  for  ignition  by  gas  is  more  convenient.  In  the  lan- 
tern box  is  suspended  a  square  of  wire  gauze,  or  it  may  be 
supported  on  the  ring  of  a  retort  stand,  and  on  this  gauze, 
upon  a  square  of  tissue  paper,  is  placed  the  charge  of  mag- 
nesium and  chlorate.  Eight  inches  or  more  below  this  gauze 
is  brought  a  gas  pipe  crowned  with  one  of  those  pin  burners 
used  in  tobacconists'  shops,  which  when  turned  up  to  the  full 
make  a  long  thin  flame  several  inches  in  height.    This  flame 


134 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


is  governed  by  a  tap  within  easy  reach  of  the  operator,  and 
at  the  commencement  of  proceedings  the  gas  is  turned  down 
to  the  blue.  At  the  right  moment  the  tap  is  turned  fully 
on,  and  at  the  same  time  the  magnesium  is  fired  and  the 
flash  produced. 

The  contrivances  already  before  the  public  for  the  pro- 
duction of  flash-light  pictures  are  almost  as  numerous  as  in- 
stantaneous shutters,  and  they  present  almost  as  much 

n 


Fig.  48. 

variety  as  that  much  invented  contrivance.  Some  of  these 
are  mere  toys,  and  are  of  no  use  at  all  unless  they  can  be 
fired  in  series.  As  a  rule  those  which  are  of  the  simplest 
construction  are  the  best  to  adopt.  One  or  two  of  these  I 
will  now  notice. 

Messrs.  Beck,  of  Cornhill,  supply  the  contrivance  shown 
at  fig.  48.    This  consists  of  a  glass  tube  with  a  funnel  open- 


Fig.  49. 


ing  at  the  top  for  the  admission  of  the  magnesium  powder,  and 
a  little  spirit  furnace  in  front,  which  is  attached  to  the  tube 
by  a  helix  of  wire.  This  is  fired  by  the  help  of  a  pneumatic 
ball  and  tube. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


135 


Messrs.  Hinton  have  introduced  the  flash-light  arrange- 
ment shown  at  fig.  49.  Here  we  have  the  same  idea  carried 
out  in  vulcanite,  the  opening  for  the  powder  being  covered 
when  the  apparatus  is  in  use,  by  the  sliding  sleeve/.  It  is 
evident  that  both  these  contrivances  could  be  multiplied,  and 
that  several  could  be  actuated  by  a  puff  of  air  from  one 
source. 

In  Leisk's  centrifugal  flash  lamp  we  have  a  carefully 
thought-out  and  very  efficient  lamp,  the  construction  of 


Fig.  50. 

which  can  be  understood  by  reference  to  the  sectional  dia- 
gram, fig.  50.  The  lamp  is  cylindrical  in  form,  and  the 
spirit  and  wick  are  held  in  an  annular  well,  DD.  The  wick 
is  of  indestructible  asbestos,  and  just  enough  spirit  is  poured 
into  the  funnel  W  to  soak  it  well.  When  this  wick  is  lighted, 
the  flame  forms  a  ring-shaped  wall  of  fire,  into  which  the 
magnesium  is  projected  from  the  centre  in  a  novel  but  effec- 
tive manner.  Z  is  a  round  table  of  metal,  the  supporting  stem 
of  which  has  at  its  base  a  coiled  spring,  P,  and  a  horizontal 


136 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


rachet  wheel,  the  teeth  of  which  engage  a  detent  which  is 
connected  with  a  piston  B.  This  piston  is  furnished  with 
an  outlet  tube  to  which  an  ordinary  pneumatic  ball  is 
attached.  The  apparatus  is  set  for  action  by  giving  the 
table  Z  one  or  two  turns  with  the  finger  and  thumb,  so  as 
to  wind  up  the  spring ;  after  which  a  small  charge  of 
magnesium  powder  is  scattered  on  the  table  and  the 
annular  wick  is  lighted.  When  the  pneumatic  ball  is 
pressed,  the  detent  releases  the  rachet,  the  table  spins 
round,  and  by  centrifugal  force  scatters  the  powder  into  the 
wick  which  surrounds  it,  producing  a  large  volume  of  light 
with  a  very  quick  flash. 

Some  of  the  best  photographs  which  I  have  seen,  and 
which  cannot  be  distinguished  from  pictures  taken  by  day- 
light, have  been  executed  by  means  of  a  lamp,  or  rather 
by  a  congregation  of  lamps,  made  by  Messrs.  Marion — 
who  also  supply  that  which  I  have  already  described. 
These  pictures  were  taken  by  the  aid  of  four  lamps, 
supported  on  the  ingenious  form  of  stand  patented  by  Mr. 
Slingsby,  of  Lincoln.  This  stand  can  be  raised  or  lowered 
to  any  convenient  height  above  the  sitter's  head,  and  it  is 
fitted  with  horizontal  arms,  which  support  the  lamps  in  any 
desired  position.  In  order  that  the  lamps  may  all  be  fired 
at  the  same  instant,  the  tube  from  each  is  connected  with  one 
pneumatic  ball  ( W)  of  large  size,  which  has  a  nozzle  (X)  like 
that  shown  at  fig.  51,  with  quadruple  nipples. 

This  simpler  and  cheaper  form  of  lamp  does  not  perhaps 
give  such  a  mass  of  flame  as  that  just  described.  As  figure 
52  shows,  it  follows  the  design  of  one  already  referred 
to,  in  which  a  charge  of  powder  is  projected  into  the  centre 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


137 


of  an  argand  gas  burner.  Here,  however,  the  flame, 
although  a  circular  one,  is  produced  by  a  spirit  lamp.  The 
spirit  is  contained  in  the  small  annular  chamber  NN,  and 
burns  at  the  wick  K.  BB  is  a  bent  pipe  which  has  its 
upper  orifice  at  a  lower  level  than  the  wick,  and  it  is 
charged  with  magnesium  powder  by  the  temporary  aid  of 
a  small  tin  funnel  before  the  lamp  is  lighted.    The  lower 


Gpening  of  the  pipe  B,  which  emerges  from  the  side  of  the 
lamp,  is  connected  with  an  india-rubber  tube  and  pneumatic 
ball,  and  the  compressed  air  from  the  latter  is  sufficient  to 
propel  the  powder  into  the  flame. 

Some  time  ago  I  devised  a  cheap  experimental  flash  light 
apparatus  by  supporting  a  common  clay  tobacco  pipe  in 
such  a  way  that  its  bowl  stood  upright  over  the  centre  of 
one  of  the  little  spirit  stoves  already  mentioned.  Before 
lighting  the  spirit  I  put  a  charge  of  magnesium  inside  the 
bowl  of  the  pipe,  and  fastened  a  pneumatic  bulb  and  tube 
to  its  mouthpiece.    Such  an  arrangement  answers  well,  if 


.Fig.  51. 


Fig.  52. 


138 


EVENING  WORK  FOE 


a  pipe  can  be  procured  with  sufficiently  wide  a  bore  to  admit 
sufficient  air  to  expel  the  powder.  I  see  that  a  contributor 
to  an  American  journal  has  recently  still  more  simplified 
the  same  idea  by  wrapping  round  the  bowl  of  such  a  pipe 
a  pledget  of  absorbent  cotton,  which  he  soaks  in  spirit,  so 
that  no  stove  is  necessary. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  flash-light  portraits  have  too  often 
a  very  unnatural  appearance,  and  that  the  eyes  in  particular 
seem  to  suffer.  One  reason  for  this  is  that  the  flash  is  so 
unexpected  in  its  brilliancy  that  the  subject  involuntarily 
closes  his  eyes  at  the  moment  of  exposure,  or  at  any  rate  as 
quickly  as  he  can.  The  result  is  that,  quick  as  that  exposure 
seems,  it  has  actually  registered  the  image  of  the  open  eye 
as  well  as  a  superposed  image  of  the  closed  eye.  The  effect 
is  by  no  means  pleasing,  and  gives  a  generally  hazy  appear- 
ance to  the  eye,  which  is  apt  to  make  the  censorious  ask 
whether  before  that  picture  was  taken,  the  original  had  been 
dining  "  not  wisely  but  too  well."  For  this  reason  it  is  as 
well  to  direct  the  subject  not  to  look  at  or  near  the  source  of 
light,  nor  directly  towards  the  camera.  It  is  always  a  good 
plan  also,  to  make  a  preliminary  flash  without  taking  a 
photograph,  so  that  the  sitter  or  sitters  will  know 
what  to  expect,  when  the  camera  is  ultimately  used.  Another 
reason  why  the  eye  suffers  in  these  pictures  is  due  no  doubt 
to  the  circumstance  that  the  pupil  is  naturally  much  more 
dilated  than  it  is  in  daylight,  and  that  the  controlling  muscles 
of  the  iris  have  not  time  to  act  when  the  bright  flash  comes. 
We  thus  photograph  the  eye  under  unusual  conditions,  and 
need  not  wonder  that  it  looks  unnatural.  While  on  the 
subject  of  the  eye  it  may  be  as  well  to  point  out  here  that 


AMATEUR  PHO TOGRAPHE11S. 


139 


it  is  injudicious  to  subject  it  to  the  strain  of  these  flash  ex- 
posures more  than  is  absolutely  necessary.  It  is  a  wise  pre- 
caution to  wear  a  pair  of  smoke  glasses,  or  those  dark  blue 
spectacles  which,  are  used  by  cautious  electricians  who  have 
much  to  do  with  the  brilliant  arc-light. 

There  should  be  no  difficulty  in  focussing  for  a  flash-light 
picture  if  the  room  be  lighted  by  gas.  I  am  in  favour  of  all 
the  available  gas  lights  being  kept  full  on  both  before  and 
during  exposure,  if  only  to  prevent  the  sitters  blinking  their 
eyes  when  the  flash  comes,  as  they  are  likely  to  do  when  a 
sudden  flood  of  light  comes  immediately  after  darkness.  If 
there  is  not  much  light  available,  a  candle  can  be  held  by 
the  sitter  in  the  same  plane  with  his  face,  and  its  flame  can 
be  sharply  focussed  on  the  camera  screen.  When  all  is 
ready  the  slide  can  be  drawn  and  the  lens  uncapped  before 
the  operator  makes  the  flash,  the  slight  preliminary  expo- 
sure producing  no  effect  upon  the  plate. 

With  regard  to  pose  of  sitter  and  other  arrangements, 
let  them  be  the  same  as  those  generally  adopted  for  portrai- 
ture in  an  ordinary  room,  and  let  the  magnesium  lamp  be 
regarded  as  a  window  from  which  the  light  is  to  come.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  figure  some  kind  of  reflecting  surface 
must  be  provided,  and  nothing  is  better  than  a  sheet,  unless 
it  be  a  screen  made  for  the  purpose.  I  have  used  such  a 
screen  with  good  effect,  and  it  consists  of  a  wooden  frame 
stretched  over  with  canvas,  upon  which  is  pasted  white 
lining  paper.  The  real  purpose  of  the  screen  was  for  trying 
lantern  pictures  in  a  small  room,  so  it  will  be  seen  that 
it  answers  a  double  purpose. 

What  may  be  called  a  natural  background  may  easily  be 


140 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


arranged  in  a  private  room,  and  any  number  of  accessories 
in  the  shape  of  flowers  on  fancy  tables,  Japanese  screens, 
books  and  pictures  are  always  available.  Care  must  be 
taken  that  the  strong  shadow  thrown  by  the  magnesium 
light  does  not  fall  upon  any  portion  of  the  background  which 
will  be  included  in  the  picture. 

There  is  no  particular  object  in  taking  portraits  by  flash- 
light that  can  be  easily  taken  by  daylight ;  it  should  be  re- 
served for  such  subjects  as  cannot  readily  be  obtained,  in 
the  absence  of  a  proper  studio,  by  more  ordinary  means. 
Children  playing  with  pet  animals,  or  in  their  night  gear,  or 
even  in  their  bath  form  subjects  of  the  kind  which  are 
attainable  by  flash-light.  Pet  animals  too  can  be  perhaps 
better  taken  by  flash-light  than  by  other  means.  Family 
groups  engaged  at  their  common  amusements,  gathered 
round  the  piano,  playing  chess,  etc.,  will  also  form  interest- 
ing subjects  for  this  kind  of  work.  The  ingenious  photographer 
will  quickly  think  of  suitable  subjects,  and  will  gladly  avail 
himself  of  a  means  of  prosecuting  his  favourite  pursuit  in 
the  absence  of  daylight. 

In  photographing  a  group  of  persons,  such  as  one  may 
have  the  opportunity  of  doing  at  a  fancy  ball,  or  on  the  occa- 
sion of  some  private  theatricals,  a  simple  reflector  is  not 
enough,  nor  is  one  flash  apparatus  suflicient.  The  following 
plan  will  be  found  both  convenient  and  effective.  Employ 
apparatus  of  such  a  kind  that  a  puff  of  air,  after  the  kind- 
ling flame  is  lighted,  will  give  the  requisite  flash.  Let  an 
apparatus  of  this  kind  be  arranged  on  either  side  of  the 
groups,  both  being  at  a  height  above  the  level  of  the  sitters' 
heads,  and  let  each  be  embraced  by  a  sheet  of  tin  bent  into 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


141 


a  quarter  circle.  Now  connect  each  apparatus  by  means  of 
an  indiarubber  tube,  the  two  tubes  meeting  on  a  T  piece  of 
quarter-inch  bore  which  can  be  bought  at  any  gasfitter's. 
Let  the  T  piece  lie  on  the  floor  with  its  still  remaining  open 
branch  pointing  towards  the  camera.  Furnish  this  with 
another  piece  of  tube  long  enough  to  reach  to  the  back  of  the 
position  occupied  by  the  camera,  and  pull  its  further  end 
over  the  nozzle  of  a  common  pair  of  bellows.  All  that  now 
remains  to  be  done  is  to  light  the  kindling  flames,  see  that 
each  apparatus  is  charged  with  powder,  and  at  the  right 
moment  give  a  puff  with  the  bellows.  By  this  means  both 
charges  will  be  inflamed  at  precisely  the  same  moment,  and 
the  light  given  will  be  found  to  be  quite  sufficient  to  produce 
a  properly  exposed  negative. 

I  have  not  much  to  say  regarding  the  development  of  a 
flash-light  picture.  I  am  certainly  in  favour  of  using  as 
little  pyro  as  possible,  and  not  stinting  the  ammonia.  Do  not 
be  afraid  of  the  picture  appearing  quickly  under  such  circum- 
stances. Your  endeavour  must  be  to  avoid  hard  chalk  and 
soot  contrasts,  and  these  you  will  undoubtedly  get  if  you  use 
much  pyro  and  are  chary  with  your  alkali.  When  you 
find  that  you  have  plenty  of  detail  but  that  there  is  a  want 
of  density  in  your  negative,  then  is  the  time  to  add  more 
pyro,  which  will  gradually  give  your  picture  the  density 
which  has  been  lacking.  In  cold  weather  be  careful  to  use 
tepid  water  for  making  up  your  solutions,  and  you  will 
quickly  find  a  benefit  in  so  doing. 


10 


CHAPTER  XV. 


THE    ELECTRIC  LIGHT. 

HE  electric  light,  after  many  a  vain  effort 
to  bring  itself  into  prominence,  has  at  last 
come  within  the  domain  of  things  practical, 
and  in  a  short  time  we  may  hope  to  have 
it  laid  on  to  our  houses  much  in  the  same 
way  that  gas  has  been  supplied  to  us  for  so  many  years. 
It  behoves  us  therefore  to  direct  attention  to  the  coming 
change,  and  to  point  out  how  far  the  new  lamps  when 
exchanged  for  old  ones  will  possibly  cause  modifications 
and  improvements  in  our  daily  work.  It  may  also  be 
desirable  to  indicate  by  what  means  and  how  far  is  it 
practicable  for  an  amateur  to  use  the  electric  light 
independently  of  any  supply  from  outside  his  own  premises. 
A  brief  review  of  what  has  been  done  in  the  past  to 
gradually  bring  the  electric  light  to  its  present  perfection 
will  be  necessary  as  a  prelude  to  my  remarks. 

The  first  experimental  production  of  the  electric  light 


EVENING  WOIIK,  ETC. 


143 


was  due  to  Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  Humphrey,  Davy,  at  the 
beginning  of  this  century.  At  that  time  a  simple  form  of 
electric  battery,  founded  on  Yolta'spile,  only  was  known,  bat 
sufficient  interest  was  taken  in  the  mysterious  kind  of 
power  which  it  exhibited  to  induce  "  a  few  zealous  culti- 
vators and  patrons  of  science,"  as  Sir  Humphrey  called 
them,  to  subscribe  towards  the  construction  of  a  powerful 
combination  of  battery  cells,  which,  although  capable  of 
intensely  brilliant  results  for  a  short  time,  would  be 
stigmatised  in  these  days  as  cumbrous  and  imperfect  to  the 
last  degree.  This  huge  battery  consisted  of  no  fewer  than 
two  thousand  plates  of  metal — contained  in  porcelain  cells 
— and  exhibiting  a  total  surface  of  128,000  square  inches. 
To  the  terminals  of  this  battery  were  fastened  copper  wires, 
and  it  was  when  these  wires,  furnished  with  charcoal  points, 
were  brought  together  that  the  most  brilliant  effects  were 
produced.  Here  is  part  of  Sir  Humphrey's  description  of 
the  experiment :  "  More  than  half  the  volume  of  the  char- 
coal became  ignited  to  whiteness,  and,  by  withdrawing  the 
points  from  each  other,  a  constant  discharge  took  place 
through  the  heated  air  in  a  space  equal  at  least  to  four 
inches ;  producing  a  most  brilliant  ascending  arch  of  light, 
broad  and  conical  in  form  in  the  middle.  When  any  sub- 
stance was  introduced  into  this  arch,  it  instantly  became 
ignited.  Platinum  melted  as  readily  in  it  as  wax  in  the 
flame  of  a  common  candle ;  quartz,  the  sapphire,  magnesia, 
lime,  all  entered  into  fusion ;  fragments  of  diamond,  and 
points  of  charcoal  and  plumbago,  rapidly  disappeared,  and 
seemed  to  evaporate  in  it,  even  when  the  connection  was 
made  in  a  receiver  exhausted  by  the  air-pump" 


144 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


In  the  above  quotation  there  are  two  points  which  should 
be  particularly  noted,  and  which  I  have  italicised.  The 
first  is  the  word  arch.  In  Davy's  experiment  the  two  char- 
coal points,  or  rods  of  carbon,  were  held  horizontally,  and 
after  being  allowed  to  touch  were  separated  by  some  inches 
while  the  so-called  arch  played  between  them.  The  arched 
form  was  doubtless  due  to  ascending  currents  of  air  caused 
by  the  great  heat,  and  the  phenomenon  is  interesting  as 
pointing  to  the  origin  of  the  word  arc-light,  which  is  still  in 
common  use  to  denote  that  species  of  electric  regulator 
where  two  carbon  rods  are  used  as  terminals. 

The  other  point  which  I  have  underlined  is  important  in 
indicating  that  the  electric  light  is  different  from  ordinary 
combustion  in  being  quite  independent  of  any  oxygen 
supply.  We  read  that  when  the  carbon  rods  were  placed 
under  the  exhausted  receiver  of  an  air  pump,  the  carbon 
rods  glowed  with  even  greater  brilliance.  In  the  present 
day  the  little  pear-shaped  glow  lamps,  which  are  now  be- 
coming so  common  for  interior  illumination,  depend  for 
their  efficiency  on  the  circumstance  that  the  delicate  fila- 
ment within  them  can  shed  its  radiance  independently  of 
any  air  supply.  Indeed,  these  little  globes  are  exhausted 
of  air  to  the  greatest  possible  extent,  and  only  under  such 
circumstances  will  they  continue  to  be  serviceable. 

From  Davy's  time  up  to  within  recent  years  many 
attempts  have  been  made  to  bring  the  electric  light  into 
competition  with  the  older  illuminants,  but  as  long  as  it 
was  dependent  upon  the  current  from  any  form  of  primary 
battery,  all  rivalry,  on  account  of  the  excessive  cost  of 
electricity  under  such  conditions,  was  quite  out  of  the  ques 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


145 


tion.  For  occasional  experimental  use  the  electric  light  was 
seen  now  and  then,  and  sufficient  interest  in  it  was  kept  up 
to  induce  inventors  to  produce  various  forms  of  lamps,  or 
regulators,  as  they  are  called.  These  regulators  act  simply  as 
supports  for  the  two  carbon  pencils  between  which  the  arc 
light  is  produced,  and,  although  they  present  much  variety 
in  details  of  construction,  they  have  a  great  family  re- 
semblance. In  all  of  them  certain  conditions  have  to  be 
complied  with,  under  which  only  can  the  arc  light  be  pro- 
duced. It  is  essential  in  the  first  place  that  the  carbon 
pencils  should  actually  touch.  Directly  the  current  passes 
they  must  spring  apart  for  a  certain  distance,  when  between 
them  appears  the  brilliant  arc,  which  is  in  reality  part  of 
the  current  still  playing  between  the  separated  carbons. 
Should  the  light  be  from  any  cause  extinguished,  the 
carbons  must  again  come  together  and  be  separated  before 
it  can  be  re-established.  These  automatic  movements  of 
the  carbon  holders  upon  the  regulators  are  generally  brought 
about  by  the  ingenious  use  of  electro-magnets,  which  are 
controlled  by  the  same  current  which  furnishes  energy  for 
the  light.  Some  regulators,  and  especially  those  of  more 
recent  introduction,  are  far  better  than  others,  and  it  must 
be  evident  to  the  most  careless  observers  that  the  brilliant 
lights  now  in  occasional  use  act  with  far  more  steadiness 
than  those  of  a  few  years  back.  But  it  is  only  right  to  say 
that  this  absence  of  flickering  is  in  part  due  to  the  better 
form  of  carbon  pencil  now  in  use. 

Common  charcoal  is  much  too  soft  a  form  of  carbon  to  be 
of  any  practical  use  for  electric  lighting,  although  it  served 
I)avy  for  his  experimental  lamp.    The  pioneer  workers  with 


146 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


the  light  were  quick  to  appreciate  the  need  of  something  less 
fragile,  and  the  recognised  material  for  regulators  came  to 
be  the  harder  parts  of  the  coke  found  in  gas  retorts,  which 
were  sawn  into  square  pencils  of  half -inch  section.  But 
coke  is  by  no  means  a  pure  form  of  carbon,  and  is  con- 
taminated with  certain  earthy  impurities,  which,  under  the 
intense  heat  of  the  electric  arc,  would  spit  and  sputter,  and 
cause  the  light  to  have  those  irregularities  in  working 
which  used  to  be  so  noticeable.  When,  therefore,  a  few 
years  ago  the  electric  system  gave  signs  that  at  last  it  could 
compete  with  gas  illumination,  the  attention  of  its  advocates 
was  at  once  turned  to  the  improvement  of  the  carbon 
pencils.  The  old  method  was  discarded,  and  the  pencils 
were  manufactured  by  a  process  which  ensured  homogeneity 
and  purity  of  material. 

The  process  adopted  at  this  time  is  still  followed,  but  of 
course  experience  has  induced  modifications  and  improve- 
ments. The  materials  employed  comprise  lampblack,  sugar, 
and  other  forms  of  carbon  due  to  the  decomposition  of  tar, 
resin,  etc.,  which  are  intimately  mixed,  and  made  into  a 
paste  with  gum  or  other  binding  material.  This  paste  is 
formed  into  sticks  of  various  sizes  in  iron  moulds,  which 
are  subsequently  exposed  to  a  red  heat  until  all  the 
materials  used  are  thoroughly  coked.  The  product  is  a  per- 
fectly smooth,  close-grained,  and  hard  cylindrical  pencil, 
which  gives  a  metallic  ring  when  struck.  These  carbons 
are  sometimes  coated  with  copper  so  as  to  increase  their 
conducting  power.  It  will  be  understood  that  these  pencils 
are  used  only  for  what  is  known  as  the  arc-light  system  of 
electric  illumination, 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


147 


But  the  other  method  of  producing  light  by  means  of 
electricity  has  long  had  an  attraction  for  inventors,  although 
it  cannot  claim  such  a  pedigree  as  that  already  mentioned. 
The  incandescent  system  dates  from  the  year  1845,  when 
E.  A.  King  took  out  a  patent  for  a  lamp  which  was  worked 
upon  an  entirely  new  system.  Of  recent  years  this  specifi- 
cation of  King's  has  been  consulted  by  experts  perhaps 
mire  than  any  other  document  in  the  Patent  Office,  and  in 
truth  it  would  seem  to  tread  heavily  on  the  heels  of  certain 
modern  inventors.  The  incandescent  system  is  based  upon 
the  fact  that  when  a  thin  wire  of  metal  or  carbon  is  placod 
within  the  circuit  of  a  suitable  battery  or  other  source  of 
electricity,  it  offers  such  resistance  to  the  current  that 
heat  is  generated,  and  it  becomes  incandescent.  When 
this  incandescence  is  brought  about  in  a  vacuum,  the  light 
given  out  is  much  increased,  and  the  material,  protected 
from  union  with  the  oxygen  in  the  atmosphere,  does  not 
so  soon  drop  to  pieces.  In  King's  first  lamp  he  used  a 
ribbon  of  platinum  foil  between  two  electrodes,  but  in  a 
later  form  he  employed  a  stick  of  carbon  in  a  glass  receiver 
exhausted  of  air. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


LIGHT  BY  INCANDESCENCE. 

T  is  always  an  interesting  operation  to  trace 
the  gradual  evolution  of  any  particular 
invention.  First  we  have  the  germ,  in  the 
form  of  an  idea  which,  perhaps  by  accident, 
was  born  of  the  brain  of  the  pioneer  worker ; 
and  then  we  see  how  this  infantile  idea  gradually  grows, 
fostered  by  others,  until  it  attains  full  growth  and  becomes 
serviceable  to  mankind.  The  incandescent  system  of  electric 
lighting,  which  is  even  now  so  extensively  used  for  interior 
illumination,  found  its  germ  in  the  patent  specification  of 
E.  A.  King,  to  which  I  have  already  referred  ;  and  to  show 
how  like  in  principle  this  invention  of  1845  is  to  our  modern 
system,  I  annex  a  sketch  of  King's  lamp,  which  I  have 
copied  from  his  specification,  and  I  quote  the  description 
accompanying  it : — 

"  A  is  a  glass  tube,  similar  to  those  used  for  barometers 
except  that  it  has  its  upper  end  enlarged  into  a  cylindrical 
bulb,  and  a  stout  platinum  wire  sealed  in  at  the  top  A 
binding  screw  is  fixed  on  the  top  of  the  wire,  whose  lower 


EVENING  WORK,  ETC. 


149 


end  screws  in  the  iron  piece  D.  To  this  piece  the  forceps 
F  are  attached,  and  it  is  connected  with  a  similar  piece  at 
H  by  the  porcelain  rod  T.  The  forceps  G  are  attached  to 
II,  and  clamp  the  lower  end  of  the  carbon  piece  (C),  which 
has  its  upper  end  held  by  those  at  F.  N  is 
a  copper  wire,  which  is  fixed  in  the  piece  at 
H,  and  extends  to  the  bottom  of  the  tube. 
The  tube  is  filled  with  mercury,  in  the  same 
manner  as  a  barometer,  the  usual  precau- 
tions being  taken  to  expel  the  air;  its 
length,  independent  of  the  bulb,  should  be 
about  30  inches,  so  that  when  it  is  inserted 
in  a  cup  of  mercury  a  vacuum  will  be  formed 
in  the  bulb.  The  instrument  is  included  in 
the  electric  circuit  by  connecting  one  of  the 
wires  from  a  magnetic  machine  or  voltaic 
battery  with  the  binding  screw  fixed  on  the 
wire  E,  and  the  other  with  a  wire  which 
passes  into  the  mercury  in  the  cup  at  the 
bottom  of  the  tube." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  descrip- 
tion  and  diagram  that  King's  incandes- 
cent  lamp  is  the  same  in  principle  as 
those  of  modern  times.    A  strip  of  carbon 
is  contained  in  a  vacuum,  and  is  brought  to 
Fig  53        incandescence  by  the   resistance  which  it 
affords  to  the  passage  of  an  electric  current. 
But  the  rough  carbon  then  obtainable  would  at  the  most  only 
hold  together  for  a  few  hours,  and  the  device  to  obtain  a 
vacuum  by  means  of  a  30  inch  column  of  mercury  was 


H 


v 


J 


150 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


cumbrous,  and  expensive  enough  to  limit  the  lamp  to  expo- 
rimental  uses  only. 

In  the  following  year  Greener  and  Staite  patented  a  lamp 
which  really  represents  the  same  idea  as  King's  with  the 
parts  differently  arranged.  The  mercury  column  also  dis- 
appears, and  we  may  presume  that  the  inventor  intended  to 
exhaust  the  globe  of  air  by  means  of  a  pump.  In  this 
design  we  are  certainly  brought  nearer  to  the  modern  glow- 
lamp,  but  the  thick  stick  of  carbon  which  is  placed  between 
the  electrodes  is  very  different  to  the  hair-like  filament 
which  is  now  used  for  the  same  purpose.  Putting  other 
considerations  aside,  it  is  certain  that  the  comparatively 
large  pieces  of  carbon  used  in  these  first  lamps  would  re- 
quire a  very  powerful  current  to  bring  them  to  an  incan- 
descent state.  Greener  and  Staite's  patent  specification  is 
worthy  of  further  notice,  because  it  includes  sundry  pro- 
cesses for  the  preparation  of  a  finer  description  of  carbon 
than  that  afforded  by  the  gas  retorts,  and  here  we  certainly 
have  an  important  step  in  a  forward  direction. 

The  incandescent  form  of  electric  lighting  seems  to  have 
now  been  put  aside  for  a  time,  but  in  1871  it  was  again  re- 
vived, and  strangely  enough  in  a  country  which  we  do  not 
usually  associate  with  much  advancement  of  any  kind.  It 
was  in  Russia  that  this  system,  in  the  year  1871,  received 
what  may  be  described  as  its  first  public  trial.  In  this  year 
M.  Lodyghin  showed  two  hundred  incandescent  lamps 
lighted  on  one  circuit — the  current  being  derived  from  an 
Alliance  machine — of  which  more  hereafter.  We  read  that 
this  experiment,  which  was  successful  in  every  way — for  the 
&horb  period  which  it  covered,  be  it  observed — made  so  great 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


151 


a  sensation  that  all  other  forms  of  artificial  illumination 
were  looked  upon  as  doomed.  A  Company  was  formed,  and 
the  inventor  was  somewhat  prematurely  rewarded  by  a  sum 
of  50,000  roubles  from  the  Academy  of  Science.  But  after 
a  short  time  the  excitement  died  a  natural  death,  and  the 
Russians  had  to  return  once  more  to  lamps  and  candles. 
I  have  no  knowledge  of  the  exact  form  which  these  lamps 
assumed  ;  but  fig.  54  shows  one  which  was  invented  in  1872 
by  Konn,  another  Russian. 
This  lamp  contains  a  rod  of 
graphite  as  the  incandescent 
material,  and  the  globe,  instead 
of  being  exhausted  of  air,  was 
"  hermetically  closed  and  filled 
with  nitrogen,  or  other  gas  that 
does  not  support  combustion." 
In  the  description  of  this 
patent,  we  have  evidence  that 
the  inventor  was  aware  that 
the  carbon  was  perishable,  for 
he  provides  a  means  by  which 
the  current,  when  one  strip  of 
graphite  became  spent,  could  bo  switched  off  to  a 
second  and  subsequently  to  a  third  strip. 

It  would  be  tedious  to  quote  the  various  lamps  of  this 
kind  which  have  been  invented  and  reinvented  during  the 
past  twenty  years.  They  are  interesting  only  historically, 
and  as  links  in  the  chain  which  led  up  to  the  modern  glow- 
lamp,  the  gradual  perfecting  of  which  we  owe  to  the  re- 
searches of  Edison,  Swan,  Maxim,  and  others, 


152 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


It  is  interesting  to  look  back  to  the  time,  ten  years  ago, 
when  the  news  of  Edison's  discovery  of  the  glow-lamp  was 
first  made  public  by  one  of  those  sanguine  telegrams  from 
New  York  which  so  frightened  the  shareholders  in  our  gas 
companies.  This  telegram  told  us  that  Edison  had  per- 
fected an  electric  lamp  of  extraordinary  simplicity,  costing 
only  twenty-five  cents,  and  that  he  was  going  to  illuminate 
Menlo  Park  by  its  aid  ;  that  he  had  discovered  that  a 
steady,  brilliant  light  could  be  obtained  by  the  incandescence 
of  mere  carbonised  paper  better  than  from  any  known  sub- 
stance. Strips  of  drawing  paper  in  horseshoe  form  were 
placed  in  a  mould  and  baked  at  a  very  high  temperature, 
and  their  charred  residuum  was  then  attached  to  platinum 
wires  which  were  hermetically  sealed  in  a  glass  globe  from 
which  the  air  was  exhausted.  This,  attached  to  a  wooden 
stand,  or  ordinary  gas  fixture,  was  the  whole  lamp.  About 
the  same  time  as  this  wonderful  paragraph  appeared  in  the 
papers,  I  remember  that  a  lamp  was  brought  out  in  London 
and  sold  for  one  shilling.  It  professed  to  be  a  perfectly  effi- 
cient electric  lamp,  and  consisted  of  a  glass  tube  with  a 
small  piece  of  carbon  pencil  fixed  between  two  wires  in  its 
interior.  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  contrivance  had  an 
enormous  sale — for  it  appeared  to  be  complete  in  itself — 
and  was  certainly  cheap.  The  cunning  inventor,  however, 
left  the  purchaser  to  find  out  that  attachment  to  some 
generator  of  electricity  was  necessary  before  it  would  give 
light.  We  can  trace  the  likeness  to  the  modern  glow-lamp 
in  the  above  description  of  Edison's  25  cent,  arrangement, 
the  most  noticeable  point  of  difference  being  the  use  of  a  hair- 
like fibre  of  carbonised  bamboo  instead  of  the  charred  card- 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


153 


board.  Mr.  Swan,  in  England — whose  name  is  familiar  to 
every  photographer — had  before  this  used  a  parchmentised 
thread  for  the  same  purpose,  and  this  is  still  in  use.  We 
shall  presently  see  how  in  various  forms  the  glow-lamp  is 
bying  employed  for  photographic  purposes. 

Many  photographers  would  be  very  glad  to  adopt  the  elec- 
tric glow  lamp,  on  account  of  its  cleanliness,  freedom  from 
smell,  absence  of  danger,  and  other  good  qualities,  if  they 
only  knew  the  best  way  of  installing  it  in  their  dark-room 
without  much  expense.    For  occasional  use  in  changing  or 
developing  plates  it  undoubtedly  is  most  convenient,  and 
there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  employed  for  such 
purposes,  even  if  we  are  dependent  upon  some  form  of  bat- 
tery for  its  maintenance.     But  the  kinds  of  battery  which 
are  described  in  the  text-books  are  legion,  and  it  is  difficult 
for  one  not  well  versed  in  the  subject  to  choose  between  them. 
The  first  thing  that  must  be  understood  is  that  one  battery 
may  be  invaluable  for  a  particular  service,  while  it  is  quite 
unsuitable,  and,  indeed,  useless  for  another.  For  instance,  no 
battery  is  better  for  the  ordinary  electric  bell,  now  so  com- 
monly used  in  houses,  than  the  Leclanche.     It  will  give 
sufficient  current  for  a  short  period,  but  requires  intervals  of 
rest  so  that  it  may  recover  its  original  energy.    This  is  just 
the  treatment  which  it  receives,  the  circuit  being  closed 
whenever  the  button  is  pressed,  and  being  left  open  for  the 
battery  to  recover  itself  between  time3.     Where,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  current  must  be  a  constant  one,  continuing 
over  many  hours,  as  in  the  case  of  electric  deposition  of  cop- 
per, silver  etc.,  the  Leclanche  form  of  battery  would  be  use- 
less, for  it  would  soon  cease  to  act.    For  this  purpose  we 


154 


EVENING  WOKK  FOR 


must  use  a  Daniell  or  a  Smee.  Where,  again,  we  want  a 
current  of  great  power  to  produce  an  arc  light,  we  must  have 
recourse  to  several  Bunsen  or  Grove  cells — that  is  to  say,  if 
we  are  dependent  upon  primary  batteries.  Secondary  bat- 
teries will  be  considered  later  on.  But  for  a  single  incan- 
descent lamp  such  as  would  give  sufficient  light  for  the  pur- 
pose already  indicated,  there  are  certain  newer  forms  of  bat- 
tery which  are  far  more  convenient  in  use,  and  which  do 
not  give  off  acid  fumes  like  some  of  those  mentioned.  One 
in  particular  may  be  mentioned  as  affording  effective  results 
with  little  trouble  and  expense  —I  mean  Schanschieff's  bat- 
tery. It  is  a  single  fluid  battery,  and  the  charging  of  it 
merely  means  the  emptying  out  of  the  spent  liquid,  and  fill- 
ing it  up  with  fresh  solution.  The  liquid  is  a  preparation 
of  mercury,  but  its  exact  composition  has  not  been  pub- 
lished. The  battery  can  be  kept  ready  for  use,  provided  that 
the  plates  are  lifted  out  of  the  solution  when  io  is  idle.  Its 
electro-motive  force  is  constant,  it  gives  a  very  steady  cur- 
rent, and  its  internal  resistance  is  small.  It  is  durable  in 
use,  and  the  replenishing  solution  is  cheap.  One  charge  of 
liquid  is  said  to  maintain  a  2-candle  glow  lamp  for  eight 
hours.  The  outline  drawing  (fig.  55)  shows  the  various 
parts  of  one  form  of  Schanschieff's  battery  with  small  incan- 
descent lamp  attached.  This  is  for  miners'  use,  but  it  is 
obvious  that,  with  one  or  two  slight  modifications,  including 
a  red  screen  for  the  light,  it  would  be  useful  in  a  photo- 
grapher's dark-room.  At  any  rate,  the  drawing  will  serve 
to  indicate  the  positions  of  the  battery  elements,  and  the 
way  in  which  they  are  raised  out  of  the  exciting  liquid  when 
the  instrument  is  not  in  use. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


155 


The  containing  vessel  A  is  of  gutta-percha,  and  is  divided 
by  walls  of  the  same  material  into  three  compartments* 
which  form  three  distinct  cells.  The  lid  or  top  of  this  con- 
taining vessel,  B,  is  made  of  hard  wood,  and  fits  closely  into 
it.  It  has  a  handle,  D,  by  which  it  can  be  readily  carried 
about,  and  the  glow-lamp  bulb,  F,  is  protected  by  a  thick 
glass,  E,  which  would  be  necessary  to  protect  the  fragile 
bulb  from  splinters  of  coal,  etc.,  when  the  lamp  was  being 
used  below  ground.  As  there  are  three  cells  in  this  form  of 
lamp,  there  are,  of  course,  three  sets  of  elements  provided 
for  them.  These  consist  each  of  a  stout  rod  of  zinc  ;  one 
only  is  visible  in  the  drawing,  and  is  marked  Z,  flanked  on 
each  side  by  a  plate  of  carbon,  C.  One  carbon  plate  is  in 
each  case  a  little  narrower  than  its  fellow,  so  as  to  accom- 
modate itself  to  the  triangular  form  of  the  cell  in  which  it  is 
placed.  Returning  to  the  upper  part  of  the  arrangement, 
G  is  a  metal  reflector,  which  half  embraces  the  incandescent 
bulb,  and  greatly  increases  the  light  which  it  gives.  It 
remains  only  to  mention  the  manner  in  which  the  plates 
can  be  raised  from  their  cells  in  order  to  throw  the  battery 
out  of  action.  A  metal  vertical  rod  projects  from  the  centre 
of  the  containing  vessel,  where  the  three  partitions  of  the 
cells  meet.  It  is  not  visible  in  the  drawing,  being  hidden 
by  the  edge  of  one  of  the  carbon  plates.  It  is  tapped  with 
a  screw  thread  at  its  lower  part,  and  also  at  its  top,  so  that 
the  milled  disc,  H,  will  engage  it  in  two  different  positions. 
One  of  these  is  where  the  plates  are  immersed  in  the  liquid 
contents  of  the  cells,  and  when,  therefore,  the  lid  can  be 
securely  screwed  up,  and  the  other  position  is  that  shown  in 


156 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


the  drawing,  where  the  plates  are  raised  from  the  cells  and 
all  electrical  action  ceases. 


Fig.  55. 

I  have  had  another  form  of  this  battery  in  rise  for  some 
time  with  satisfactory  results.    In  this  arrangement  the 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


157 


plates  are  at  one  end  of  a  long  and  closed  receptacle,  and 
the  mere  act  of  inverting  the  arrangement  puts  it  into 
action.  When  it  is  required  no  longer,  it  is  again  turned 
upside  down,  the  liquid  leaves  the  plates,  and  the  light  is 
quenched. 

One  of  the  most  useful  forms  of  battery  is  the  bichromate, 
but  constancy  of  current  must  not  be  expected  from  it.  It 
is  a  most  handy  form  of  battery  for  the  laboratory,  for  it 
can  be  put  into  and  out  of  action  in  a  second.  It  gives  off 
no  fumes,  and  the  solution  employed  is  quite  inexpensive. 
Its  most  common  form  is  that  of  a  bottle  with  a  vulcanite  top. 
From  this  top  depend  the  plates,  two  of  which  are  carbon, 
and  fixed,  while  the  zinc  plate  slides  between  them,  and  is 
fastened  to  a  brass  rod  which  projects  through  the  lid. 
The  exciting  fluid  is  a  saturated  solution  of  bichromate  of. 
potash,  made  with  hot  water,  with  20  per  cent,  of  sulphuric 
acid  added  to  it  when  cold.  The  addition  of  the  acid  causes 
the  development  of  much  heat,  and  the  solution  must  be 
allowed  to  cool  before  it  is  poured  into  the  bottle.  There 
are  several  modifications  of  this  form  of  battery  which  may 
be  made  very  useful  in  the  photographic  dark-room ;  and 
whe::e  the  amateur  is  possessed  of  sufficient  ability  to  con- 
struct apparatus  for  himself,  this  is  the  kind  of  battery 
which  he  will  have  no  difficulty  in  producing  without 
outside  help. 

A  convenient  form  of  dark-room  lamp  and  battery  com- 
bined is  that  shown  at  fig.  56.  This  apparatus  is,  I  believe, 
of  French  origin,  but  can  be  bought  in  this  country  of 
numerous  dealers  through  the  wholesale  house  of  Messrs. 
Perken,  Son,  and  Hayment.    The  drawing  must  be  looked 


158 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


upon  as  being  merely  diagrammatic,  and  many  unimportant 
parts  are  omitted  so  that  the  illustration  shall  not  be  un- 
necessarily encumbered. 

The  apparatus  consists  of  a  mahogany  box  nine  inches  in 
height  and  six  inches  square,  and  its  outer  edges  are  de- 
cribed  in  the  cut  by  dotted  lines.  To  the  lower  part  of  the 
lid  of  this  box  are  fitted  the  battery  plates,  consisting  of 
nine  sets  of  three  each,  each  three  being  represented  by 
two  carbons  with  a  zinc  plate  between  them.  These  plates 
are  all  connected  by  strips  of  metal,  one  pair  of  carbons 
being  joined  up  with  the  zinc  plate  of  the  next  cell,  and 
so  on  throughout  the  series.  The  cells,  of  which  only  one  is 
shown  in  the  drawing,  consist  of  tall  glass  bottles  which  seem 
at  first  sight  to  be  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  plates  which 
dip  into  them.  But  the  reason  for  this  apparent  dispro- 
portion is  to  provide  an  excessive  amount  of  exciting  solu- 
tion so  that  the  battery  shall  preserve  its  energy  for  a  long 
time  without  the  necessity  of  recharging.  In  all  bichromate, 
as,  indeed,  in  most  other  batteries  the  plates  should  remain 
in  the  exciting  solution  only  during  the  time  when  the  battery 
is  at  work.  In  the  bottle  form  of  bichromate  cell,  the  zinc 
is  lifted  out  of  the  solution  by  means  of  a  rod,  and  in  this 
way  all  electrical  action  is  stopped.  In  the  apparatus  which 
we  are  now  considering,  the  plates  are  not  lifted  from  the 
solution,  but  the  cells  and  their  contents  are  made  to  recede 
from  the  plates.  This  is  brought  about  by  a  very  simple 
arrangement  of  parts.  The  glass  cells  stand  upon  an  iron 
platform  which  measures  a  little  less  than  the  interior  width 
of  the  box,  so  that  it  will  slide  up  and  down  therein  with 
ease.    It  is  hung  upon  two  strong  brass  rods,  the  tops  of 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


159 


which  are  tapped  and  protected  through  the  lid  of  the 
box.     Collars    here   engage    the    screw    thread  upon 


Fig  56. 


each,  and  by  simply  turning  these  screws  between 
the  thumbs  and  fingers  of  the  two  hands  at  the  same 


160 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


time,  the  platform  and  the  cells  are  raised  or  lowered  as 
may  be  wished.    It  will  at  once  be  seen  that  this  plan 
not  only  serves  to  put  the  battery  in  and  out  of  action,  but 
gives  control  over  the  amount  of  current  afforded.    For  it 
is  obvious  that  if  the  plates  are  only  partially  immersed  in 
the  liquid  contents  of  the  cell,  the  amount  of  current 
afforded  will  be  in  proportion.    In  the  drawing,  and  for  the 
sake  of  clearness,  only  the  edges  of  three  sets  of  plates  are 
shown,    but   it    will    be    understood   that    the  square 
form  of  containing  box  affords  room  for  nine.    The  lamp, 
or  incandescent  bulb,  is  contained,  as  shown,  in  a  metal 
casing — which  is  silver-plated  within  so  as  to  have  a  good 
reflecting  surface,  and  which  is  closed  in  front  with  a  disc 
of  ruby  glass.    The  lamp  is  attached  to  the  body  of  the  box 
in  such  a  way  that  it  can  be  raised  or  lowered  as  may  be 
desirable.    It  is  of  5-candle  power,  and,  owing  to  the  great 
capacity  of  the  cells,  it  will  continue  active  without  recharg- 
ing for  several  hours.    It  would  be  by  no  means  an  expen- 
sive form  of  lamp  to  use  for  such  occasional  purposes  as  the 
changing  or  examination  of  plates,  or  for  development  if 
the  number  of  plates  to  be  treated  is  not  very  great.  The 
expense  of   recharging   is   not    much,  for    a    pound  of 
bichromate,  costing  about  8d.,  and  a  similar  quantity  of 
acid  at  about  a  quarter  that  price,  will  last  for  several 
charges.    The  trouble  and  time  is  the  expensive  part  of  the 
process,  which  prevents  the  use  of  such  a  lamp  by  busy 
folks,  but  for  the  occasional  uses  which  have  been  already 
indicated,  it  certainly  is  valuable. 

It  is,  perhaps,  unnecessary  to  caution  photographers 
about  the  poisonous  quality  of  the  bichromate  salt.  Carbon 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


161 


workers  have  long  ago  found  out  that  some  people  are  pecu- 
liarly susceptible  to  its  influence,  and  that  if  they  are  care- 
less in  allowing  a  solutiou  of  it  to  touch  their  skin,  and 
remain  there,  it  occasions  painful  sores  which  are  difficult 
to  heal.  Others  seem  to  be  able  to  dabble  their  hands 
continually  in  the  red  solution  without  suffering  any  harm  or 
inconvenience.  This  is  an  instance  of  the  presence  of 
pachydermatous  individuals  among  us  who  never  feel  any- 
thing, and  seem  to  escape  all  the  common  inconveniences  of 
life.  It  may  be  noted  that  the  acid  bichromate  solution 
need  not  be  thrown  away  after  use  in  the  battery,  for  it  is 
valuable  for  cleaning  glass  vessels,  and  a  small  quantity  of 
it  should  be  retained  for  this  purpose. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


HOW  TO  MAKE  A  CHEAP  ELECTRIC  BATTERY. 

N  electrical  matters,  as  in  most  other  things, 
a  cheap  and  simple  arrangement  of  parts  is 
often  far  more  effective  in  action  than  one 
which  is  complex  and  costly.  In  battery 
cells  which  are  made  commercially  there 
are  generally  brass  terminals  and  binding  screws  with 
which  to  make  the  necessary  connections.  These  are  orna- 
mental, convenient,  and  pleasant  to  use,  but  in  a  short 
time,  with  some  descriptions  of  battery,  and  notably  with 
the  Bunsen  or  grove  cells,  the  fumes  from  the  acid 
employed  quickly  corrode  the  metal,  and  all  contact  points 
have  to  be  kept  clean  by  continual  use  of  the  file.  If  this 
is  not  attended  to,  the  imperfect  contact  caused  by  the 
corrosion  raises  the  resistance  of  the  battery  to  such  an 
extent  that  more  than  half  its  effective  power  disappears. 

A  convenient  and  simple  method  of  joiuiog  metal  wire 
to  carbon  plates  without  any  expensive  fittings  has  lately 
been  patented  by  an  officer  of  the  Royal  Engineers.  It  is 
illustrated  in  fig.  57.  A  hole  is  first  of  all  bored  in  the 
carbon  plate — a  by  no  means  difficult  operation  with  a 
drill.   The  tool  makes  much  dust,  as  the  material  is  ground 


EVENING  WORK,  ETC. 


163 


away  by  it,  and  it  must  often  be  taken  out  of  the  hole 
during  the  progress  of  the  work.  It  should  be  used  dry 
— that  is,  without  any  kind  of  lubricant. 
When  the  hole  is  complete,  a  short 
piece  of  platinum  wire  is  thrust  through 
it,  and  then  bent  back  upon  itself,  as 
shown  in  the  cut.  ~No.  24  standard  wire 
gauge  is  a  convenient  thickness  of  metal 
to  use,  and  as  short  a  piece  as  possible 
should  be  employed,  on  account  of  expense, 
platinum  having  recently,  in  consequence  ^* 
of  the  greediness  of  photographers,  gone  up  in  price  about 
150  per  cent.  Platinum  is  the  only  metal  which  can 
be  used  in  this  particular  manner,  on  account  of  its  stability 
in  the  presence  of  all  kinds  of  acid  solutions. 

Another  simple   and  convenient  help  to  the  electrical 
experimentalist  is  afforded  by  the  little  catch  which  is  used 
by  jewellers  for  fastening  necklaces, 
bracelets,  etc.   These  can  be  bought  by 
the  dozen  for  a  few  pence  in  Hounds 
Fig.  58.  ditch  and  other  thoroughfares  which 

seem  to  be  given  up  to  the  requirements  of  the  seller 
of  cheap  jewellery.  I  need  hardly  say  that  they  are 
not  made  of  gold,  but  of  brass,  but  they  form  a  very 
ready  and  convenient  means  of  joining  together  tem- 
porarily wires  in  electrical  experiments.  The  form  of 
catch  is  shown  at  fig.  58,  and  the  ends  of  the  wire  to  be 
joined  should  be  terminated  with  the  two  pieces  of  which  it 
is  formed,  and  they  should  be  attached  by  solder.  At  the 
house  of  a  great  electrician  I  lately  noticed  that  the  flowers 


164 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


and  other  decorations  on  the  dinner-table  were  interspersed 
with  glow-lamps,  some  of  them  being  under  water  in  the 
glass  vessels,  in  which  the  flowers  were  placed.  At  first  it 
was  difficult  to  see  how  any  electrical  connection  could  be 
made  bet  ween  these  lamps  and  the  main  wires  below  the 
table,  without  any  visible  break  of  the  table-cloth.  I  was 
afterwards  shown  that  this  necessary  connection  was  brought 
about  by  copper  needles,  which  formed  the  terminals  of  the 
glow-lamp  wires,  and  which  were  pricked  through  the  cloth 
and  were  then  held  by  these  jewellers'  catches  or  clasps. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  make  an  electric  battery  which  shall 
be  able  to  illuminate  a  few  glow-lamps  of  small  size,  and,  as 
already  indicated,  one  of  the  most  convenient  for  the  purpose 
is  that  using  a  single  fluid,  such  as  the  bichromate  cell. 
Roughly  speaking,  a  single  cell,  with  plates,  having  each  a 
surface  of  about  eight  square  inches,  will  illuminate  a  glow- 
lamp  of  2-candle  power.  A  convenient  size  for  the  plates 
is  4  X  2  inches,  and  each  cell  will  require  one  zinc  and  two 
carbons. 

Both  the  carbon  and  the  zinc  plates  will  require  some 
preliminary  treatment  before  they  are  finally  fixed  to  the 
wooden  support.  The  carbon  plates  must  receive  a  coating 
of  paraffin  wax  on  their  upper  ends,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
battery  solution  creeping  up  by  capillary  attraction  and 
corroding  the  metallic  connections.  The  best  way  to  apply 
the  paraffin — an  ordinary  paraffin  candle  is  the  most 
handy  thing  to  employ — is  to  heat  the  carbon  plate  upon 
the  top  of  a  stove  until  it  is  hot  enough  to  melt  the  wax. 
The  candle  should  then  be  rubbed  across  its  upper  part, 
after  a  sheet  of  paper  has  been  bound  round  the  plate,  so 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


165 


that  its  edge  shall  mark  a  boundary  line.  This  line 
should  be  a  little  more  than  one  inch  from  the  top  edge 
of  the  plate.  Both  sides  of  the  carbon,  as  well  as  the  edges, 
should  be  treated  with  the  paraffin  above  this  line,  and  just 
enough  should  be  applied  to  fill  in  the  pores  on  the  surface, 
any  surplus  being  wiped  off.  If  too  much  paraffin  be  applied 
where  the  connecting  strip  of  metal  touches  the  plate,  it 
will  act  as  an  insulator,  and  the  current  will  not  pass.  It 
is  therefore  as  well  to  scrape  this  point  of  junction  with 
a  blunt  knife,  so  as 
to  remove  any  wax 
which  may  have  es- 
caped the  wiping  pro- 
cess. 

The  zinc  plate  must 
be  amalgamated  with 
mercury,  or  there  will 
be  local  action,  which 
will  most  surely  re- 
duce the  power  of  the 
cell,  as  well  as  shorten 
its  life.  To  make  the 
mercury  form  an  amalgam  with  the  surface  of  the  plate,  the 
latter  must  first  of  all  be  dipped  into  dilute  sulphuric  acid, 
one  part  of  acid  to  eight  of  water.  The  mercury  may  then 
be  rubbed  on  to  the  zinc,  a  few  globules  at  a  time,  by  means 
of  a  stick,  with  a  little  flannel  rolled  round  its  end,  or  the 
vessel  containing  the  dilute  acid  may  have  some  mercury 
put  into  it,  and  when  the  zinc  is  placed  therein  the  mercury 
will  attach  itself  to  the  lower  part  of  the  plate.     The  zinc 


166 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


can  then  be  removed,  and  placed,  the  other  way  up,  against 
any  suitable  support,  when  the  mercury  will  gradually  run 
down  both  sides,  and  will  amalgamate  them  without  further 


size  to  project  for  about  two  inches  on  each  side  of  the  plates, 
for  these  projections  are  destined  to  rest  on  the  edges  of  the 
containing  vessels,  as  shown  in  the  illustration  of  the  com- 
plete cell  at  fig.  60.  The  support  is  made  of  hard  wood, 
and  is  in  two  pieces,  each  of  which  is  recessed  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  plates.  When  they  have  been  correctly  cut 
and  fashioned  as  shown,  they  should  be  heated  and  covered 
with  a  layer  of  paraffin  wax.  The  best  way  is  to  have  a  bath 
of  the  melted  wax  of  sufficient  capacity  to  hold  the  wooden 
pieces,  and  to  allow  them  to  soak  there  for  ten  minutes 
while  heat  is  applied  to  the  containing  vessel.  When  this 
is  done,  the  zinc  plate  should  be  attached  by  short  wooden 
pegs  to  the  wooden  piece  having  the  double  recess,  while  at 


trouble.  But  generally  a  little 
after-manipulation  with  the 
rubber  becomes  necessary  to 
persuade  the  mercury  to  cover 
certain  spots  which  it  is  apt 
to  leave  uncoated.  The  top  of 
the  zinc  plate  should  be  coated 
with  black  japan,  to  a  depth 
similar  to  that  of  the  paraffin 
band  on  the  carbons. 


Fig.  60. 


An  elevation  and  horizontal 
section  of  the  wooden  support 
for  the  plates  is  shown  at  fig.  59 
This   should   be   of  sufficient 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


167 


the  same  time  the  copper  connecting  strip  should  be  inserted 
between  the  metal  and  the  wood.  Care  should,  however,  be 
taken  to  scrape  away  the  japan  at  this  point,  so  as  to  afford 
good  metallic  connection  between  the  two.  The  two  wooden 
pieces  may  now  be  screwed  together  as  shown,  and  the 
carbon  plates  attached  to  either  side,  not  forgetting  the 
copper  bridge  which  connects  the  two,  and  the  slip  of  copper 
which  projects,  and  which  is  to  serve  as  a  connection  for 
wires,  or  for  other  cells  if  more  than  one  is  to  be  employed. 

For  plates  of  small  size  the  cell  or  containing  vessel  can 
take  the  form  of  a  common  glass  tumbler,  such  as  can  be 
bought  for  about  twopence.  But  most  workers  will  prefer 
to  employ  plates  of  larger  size  than  these  will  contain,  and 
will  use  a  salt- jar,  such  as  is  shown  in  fig.  60,  for  this  purpose. 
Tbese  jars  have  the  merit  of  being  uniform  in  size  and  very 
difficult  to  break. 

A  home-made  bichromate  cell,  like  that  already  described,  is 
capable  of  providing  a  current  with  energy  enough  to 
illuminate  a  glow  lamp  of  about  two-candle  power.  A 
couple  of  such  cells  will  work  a  small  induction  coil,  or  can 
be  put  to  other  experimental  uses,  and  its  most  convenient 
feature  is  that  it  can  readily  be  put  in  or  out  of  action  by 
inserting  the  plates  in,  or  removing  them  from  the  outer 
cell,  and,  of  course,  the  same  result  can  be  brought  about 
by  pouring  on  or  off  the  bichromate  solution.  But  sup- 
posing that  the  cell  has  been  in  continuous  action  for  three 
hours,  its  force  will  gradually  decline  until  it  ceases 
altogether.  Upon  renewal  of  the  spent  battery  solution  the 
cell  will  work  as  well  as  ever. 

The  worker,  when  he  has  made  one  cell,  will  probably 


168 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


not  be  content  until  he  has  one  more  to  use  in  conju action 
with  it,  an  addition  by  which  he  can  greatly  increase  his 
resources.  In  this  case  his  best  plan  will  be  to  fit  the  cells 
into  a  stand  made  of  two  pieces  of  board  supported  one 
above  the  other,  and  about  three  inches  apart,  the  upper 
board  being  pierced  with  round  holes  for  the  reception  of 
the  jars.  The  supports  of  the  upper  board  should  be  in  the 
form  of  two  posbs,  eighteen  inches  high,  which  will,  of 
course,  project  high  above  the  jars.  Upon  these  posts 
should  slide  vertically  a  horizontal  bar,  to  which  the  battery 
plates  are  clamped  in  a  row,  in  a  similar  manner  to  that 
already  detailed  in  the  description  of  the  single  cell.  This 
board  may  be  raised  or  lowered  by  means  of  a  winch,  or  in 
any  other  way  which  the  ingenuity  of  the  maker  may  sug- 
gest, in  order  that  the  plates  may  be  inserted  in  their 
respective  cells  or  withdrawn  from  the  same.  With  a 
battery  of  thirty  such  cells,  and  with  plates  of  moderate 
size,  I  have  seen  a  powerful  arc  light  worked,  and  the 
same  battery  furnished  energy — but,  of  course,  not  at  the 
same  time — to  an  induction  coil  which  would  give  a  twelve- 
inch  spark.  Those  who  have  time  on  their  hands  and  are 
fond  of  experimental  work  will  find  much  interest  in 
making  a  battery  of  this  kind  with  which  a  number  of  in- 
structive experiments  are  possible.  It  is  clean  in  use,  and 
gives  off  no  fumes,  in  which  respect  it  differs  greatly  from 
some  of  its  congeners. 

It  may  be  as  well  here  to  point  out  the  difference  between 
a  primary  battery  and  a  secondary  or  storage  battery,  for 
the  distinction  between  the  two  is  not  so  well  understood  as 
it  might  be.    And  in  order  to  make  this  distinction  clear, 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


169 


it  will  be  as  well  to  briefly  describe  two  contrivances  which 
have  been  in  experimental  use  for  some  years,  and  which 
are  therefore  well  know    to  electricians. 

The  first  to  which  I  will  call  attention  is  the  instrument 
known  as  the  voltameter,  by  which  water  can  be  decomposed 
into  its  constituent  gases,  hydrogen  and  oxygen.  The  vol- 
tameter in  its  simplest  form  consists  of  two  inverted  test 
tubes,  which  are  supported  in  a  cup  of  acidulated  water. 
Beneath  each  of  these  tubes,  and  connected  with  a  metallic 
terminal  upon  the  stand  of  the  instrument,  is  a  strip  of 
platinum  foil.  When  these  terminals  are  joined  up  with  a 
battery  cell — three  or  four  cells  must  be  used  if  rapid  action 
is  desired — bubbles  of  gas  arise  from  each  piece  of  foil,  and 
gradually  displace  the  water  in  the  tubes.  One  tube  is 
found  to  fill  with  gas  at  double  the  rate  of  the  other,  and 
the  former  is  found  to  contain  hydrogen  and  the  latter 
oxygen,  thus  proving  that  water  is  formed  of  those  gases,  but 
in  the  proportion  of  two  volumes  of  hydrogen  to  one  of  oxygen. 

Now  it  was  discovered  many  years  ago  that,  after  the 
apparatus  described  had  been  so  used,  the  platinum  elec- 
trodes had  undergone  some  change,  by  which  after  being 
disconnected  with  the  battery  employed  they  were  able  of 
themselves  to  furnish  for  a  brief  period  a  current  of  their 
own,  as  if,  indeed,  they  had  absorbed  some  of  the  electricity 
from  the  battery  and  could  again  give  it  up.  This  discovery 
led  to  the  construction  of  Grove's  gas  battery,  which  practi- 
cally consisted  of  a  number  of  voltameters  joined  to  one 
another,  and  used  in  conjunction  like  so  many  battery  cells. 
With  such  a  battery  powerful  effects  were  obtainable  for  a 
short  time,  but  the  contrivance  was,  from  its  brittle  and 


170 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


somewhat)  cumbrous  character,  merely  of  experimental 
importance.  It  required  to  be  charged  by  an  ordinary 
battery  before  it  could  yield  any  effects,  and  it  must  be 
noted  that  the  current  which  it  afforded  was  in  the  reverse 
direction  to  that  with  which  it  was  charged.  This  was  a 
true  secondary  battery,  but,  as  already  shown,  it  yielded 
results  which  were  only  serviceable  in  pointing  out  the  way 
to  improvement. 

In  1860  Gaston  Plante  undertook  a  series  of  experiments 
with  different  metals  which  eventually  led  to  the  construc- 
tion of  the  battery  which  bears  his  name,  and  which  has 
been  in  occasional  use  since  that  time,  as  a  means  of  obtain- 
ing a  powerful  current  for  a  short  period.  By  its  aid,  a 
surgeon,  for  instance,  can  bring  a  short  length  of  wire  to  a 
red  heat  where  it  is  desirable  to  use  the  actual  cautery. 

In  most  of  the  early  forms  of  primary  batteries  the  action 
known  as  polarization  has  presented  a  great  difficulty,  and 
many  ingenious  plans  have  been  adopted  to  overcome  it. 
Polarization  is  caused  by  bubbles  of  gas  forming  upon  the 
battery  plates,  and  so  preventing  the  metallic  surface  from 
being  in  actual  contact  with  the  liquid  contents  of  the  cell. 
But  in  the  secondary  battery,  it  is  this  formation  of  gas 
bubbles  that  originates  its  peculiar  action.  When  the  metal 
is  platinum,  as  in  the  voltameter,  the  plate  to  which  the 
hydrogen  bubbles  attach  themselves  acts  towards  a  clean 
platinum  plate  like  zinc,  or  any  other  metal  which  is  readily 
oxidised,  and  towards  platinum  which  has  absorbed  oxygen, 
in  a  still  more  energetic  degree. 

Plante  found  by  experiment  that  the  best  metal  for  his 
purpose  was  lead,  and  his  battery  consists  of  two  long  strips 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


171 


of  this  material  rolled  together,  but  separated  by  flannel 
This  flannel  was  replaced  at  a  later  period  by  detached 
strips  of  gutta  percha,  which  were  found  for  many  reasons 
more  serviceable.  A  strip  of  the  same  metal  projected  from 
the  outer  edge  of  one  of  the  rolled  plates,  and  from  the 
inner  edge  of  the  other  outside  the  containing  cell,  so  as  to 
afford  means  for  connection  with  the  primary  or  charging 
battery.  The  cell,  of  glass,  was  filled  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid. 

The  cell  as  thus  constructed  is  not  yet  able  to  furnish  a 
current,  but  requires  that  its  plates  shall  be  "  formed,"  as 
it  is  called.  For  this  purpose  the  battery  is  attached  to  a 
couple  of  Bunsen  cells,  with  the  result  that  after  several 
days,  during  which  the  current  from  the  Bunsen  battery 
is  reversed  in  direction  several  times,  the  plates  assume  a 
spongy  condition  on  their  surface,  and  are  then  ready  for 
permanent  use.  This  was  the  first  form  of  Plante  battery, 
but  the  preparatory  charging  operation  is  now  much 
hastened  by  roughening  the  surface  of  the  plates  by  mechani- 
cal means,  and  also  by  giving  them  a  preliminary  bath  of 
dilute  nitric  acid. 

Other  secondary  batteries  have  since  been  devised,  the 
most  noticeable  advance  on  Plante's  original  device  being 
introduced  by  Faure,  who  discovered  a  means  of  hastening 
the  formation  of.  the  lead  plates  by  painting  their  surface 
with  a  mixture  of  red  lead  and  dilute  acid.  The  spiral 
form  is  abandoned  and  secondary  battery  cells  now 
usually  contain  flat  leaden  plates  immersed  in  their  bath  of 
dilute  sulphuric  acid.  They  have  the  fault  of  being 
cumbrous  and  heavy,  which  renders  them  inconvenient  for 
certain  uses.    But  in  order  to  show  that  thoy  are  efficient 


172 


EVENING  WORK,  ETC. 


it  may  be  pointed  out  that  they  are  in  use  for  driving 
electric  launches,  tram  cars,  and  are  commonly  employed  as 
a  reserve  in  electric  light  installations. 

As  an  instance  of  this  latter  employment  of  secondary 
batteries  I  may  quote  a  case  in  which  they  were  success- 
fully used  to  supplement  a  dynamo  machine,  This  machine, 
together  with  a  large  number  of  secondary  batteries,  was 
placed  in  an  outhouse  in  the  garden  of  a  mansion  near 
London,  which  was  lighted  throughout  by  electricity.  Up 
to  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  machine  furnished  the 
current  for  lighting  up  the  premises,  but  at  that  hour  the 
engine  stopped  working,  and  without  any  perceptible  break 
the  secondary  batteries  were  called  into  use  for  the  re- 
mainder of  the  evening,  giving  up  the  energy  which  they 
had  received  from  the  machine  during  the  daylight  hours. 


CHAPTER  XVITI. 

THE  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  ADAPTED  TO  THE  OPTICAL  LANTERN. 

HEN  the  electric  light  is  brought  within  easy 
reach  by  our  houses  and  public  halls  being 
"  wired,"  it  will  in  the  natural  course  of 
things  be  used  for  lantern  projection,  but 
only  because  it  will  be  more  convenient  than 
the  lirne-light;  not  because  it  is  better.  The  lime-light 
has,  indeed,  of  late  years  been  brought  to  such  a  pitch  of 
perfection,  and  the  best  lenses,  as  now  made,  render  so 
much  of  its  light  available,  that  it  leaves  little  to  be 
desired.  Even  the  old  complaint  of  bulk  of  apparatus 
can  no  longer  be  laid  to  its  charge,  now  that  the  com- 
pressed-gas system  has  come  into  vogue.  But  perhaps  these 
will  be  considered  de  trop  when  a  couple  of  wires  passed 
into  the  lantern  from  the  house  supply  will  afford  the 
required  amount  of  light. 

The  application  of  the  electric  light  to  projecting  pur- 
poses is  by  no  means  a  new  idea,  and  a  glance  at  any  old 
text-book  will  show  how  the  Duboscq  arc -light  regulator 

12 


174 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


was  applied  to  this  purpose  more  than  thirty  years  back  in 
connection  with  that  extremely  rough  optical  instrument 
which  was  known  as  the  Solar  Microscope.    For  nearly  as 


Fig.  61. 

long  a  time  the  electric  lamp  of  Serrin,  and  a  regulator 
known  as  Browning's  have  been  used  for  throwing  spectrum 
phenomena  on  a  screen.  But  such  experiments  were  seldom 
shown,  for  the  trouble,  expense,  and  mess  of  a  forty  or  fifty 
cell  battery  were  not  to  be  lightly  undertaken  except 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


175 


by  enthusiasts.  An  electrically  lit  microscope  was  shown 
at  the  Crystal  Palace  some  few  years  back,  and  for  a  long 
time  a  lantern  for  ordinary  lecture  purposes  has  been  in 
use  at  the  large  theatre  of  the  Society  of  Arts  in  the 
Adelphi.  This  lantern  gives  a  brilliant  light,  and  seems  to 
work  steadily,  but  wants  attention  to  keep  the  light  spot 
central.  It  is  fed  by  a  De  Meritens  dynamo  machine, 
and  the  regulator  used  is  that  of  Siemens. 

A  novel  and  useful  form  of  electrically  lit  lantern 
has  been  designed  by  Dr.  Fleming,  and  is  in  constant  use 
by  him  for  class  instruction  at  University  College.  The  in- 
candescent form  of  lamp  is  employed  in  this  lantern,  and  as 
the  size  of  the  glass  bulb  for  containing  the  white-hot 
carbon  filament  is  inconveniently  large  if  more  than  100 
candle  power  is  required,  it  is  obvious  tha^  this  form  of 
lantern  is  limited  to  places  where  only  a  small-sized  disc  is 
wanted.  Dr.  Fleming  illuminates  a  screen  of  about  seven 
feet  with  a  50  candle-power  lamp,  and  he  has  light  enough 
to  give  a  di  c  of  twelve  feet.  The  lantern  is  shown  in  fig.  61, 
which  is  merely  diagrammatic  in  character,  and  gives  only 
the  main  features  of  the  apparatus. 

It  consists  of  a  well-ventilated  oblong  box  about  two  feet 
high  and  ten  inches  square.  The  glow  lamp  A  is  fitted  on 
an  arm,  B,  which  projects  from  the  further  side  of  the  in- 
terior wall,  so  that  the  lamp  is  really  on  its  side.  But 
in  the  case  of  glow  lamps  position  is  quite  immaterial.  The 
lamp  is  held  in  its  support  by  adjusting  screws,  not  shown 
in  the  figure,  so  that  it  can  be  centred  to  a  nicety.  The 
silken  cable  from  it  passes  to  the  outside  of  the  box  for 
ready  connection  with  the  source  of  electrical  energy. 


176 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


The  lamp  itself  is  of  special  construction,  and  has  been 
made  by  the  Edison  and  Swan  Company  for  the 
purpose  of  lantern  projection ;  it  is 
shown  separately  at  fig.  62.  Apart 
from  its  great  power,  it  differs  from 
an  ordinary  glow  lamp  in  the 
arrangement  of  its  carbon  filament. 
Instead  of  an  elongated  loop  of 
radiance,  the  light  is  concentrated 
in  a  helix,  which  approaches  far 
more  nearly  the  theoretical  point 
of  light  which  is  besb  for  all  optical 
instruments  of  this  kind. 

Kef  erring  once  more  to  we 
note  that  a  few  inches  above  the 
lamp  bulb  is  fixed  the  condensing 
lens  C,  on  a  shelf  D.  A  curtain - 
covered  opening  gives  ready  access 
to  the  upper  side  of  the  shelf,  on  a  level  with  which  is  the 
top  surface  of  the  condensing  lens.  Here  is  fitted  a  slide 
carrier,  so  that  pictures  can  be  readily  exhibited,  but  the 
carrier  is  removable,  so  that  experiments  or  preparations 
may  be  shown  when  desired.  The  image  is  formed  by  the 
objective  lens  E  on  the  summit  of  the  lantern,  and  the  ver- 
tical rays  are  turned  in  a  horizontal  direction  towards  the  lan- 
tern screen  by  the  mirror  M,  which  rests  upon  a  collar  which 
fits  over  the  lens  mount.  A  great  many  experiments,  it  may 
be  mentioned,  can  be  shown  with  a  lantern,  provided  that 
there  is  a  means  for  keeping  the  objects  shown  in  a  horizon- 
tal position,  as  is  possible  with  the  arrangement  shown.  As  a 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


177 


case  in  point,  may  be  instanced  the  well-known  experiment 
of  showing  curves  of  magnetic  force  by  sprinkling  the  poles 
of  a  magnet  with  iron  filings,  where  the  magnet  must  rest 
on  a  flat  surface.  Various  experiments  with  liquids  are 
also  best  shown  by  means  of  a  horizontal  stage,  and  this 
lantern  of  Dr.  Fleming's  has  adjusting  screws,  so  that  for 
such  experiments  it  can  be  accurately  levelled  The  in- 
strument is  made  by  Mr.  Steward,  of  the  Strand,  who  will 
doubtless  find  a  great  demand  for  it  so  soon  as  electricity  is 
brought  into  our  houses  as  gas  is  now  supplied. 

That .  this  is  a  consummation  devoutly  to  be  wished  is 
evidenced  by  the  rapid  strides  which  the  art  of  electrical 
illumination  has  taken  of  late  years,  an  advance  which 
is  due  to  the  wonderful  development  of  the  dynamo  machine. 
When  Faraday  first  pointed  out  at  his  lecture  table  that  an 
electric  current  was  obtainable  by  moving  a  coil  of  wire  in 
front  of  a  magnet,  he  made  one  of  the  most  important  dis- 
coveries which  this  century  has  seen,  and  one  which  has 
gradually  brought  into  view  the  possibility  of  general 
electrical  illumination.  We  seem  to  be  rather  backward  in 
the  matter  in  this  country,  and  it  has  been  spoken  of  as  a 
reproach  to  us  that  the  Americans  have  gone  so  much  farther 
ahead.  Legislation, with  a  view  to  prevent  the  creation  of  such 
monopolies  as  the  gas  and  water  companies  represent,  has 
had  the  effect  of  checking  enterprise  in  this  country,  but  we 
shall  gain  in  the  end  by  the  delay.  The  Americans  have 
not  only  shown  us  what  can  be  done  in  the  way  of  supplying 
a  current  from  a  central  station,  but  they  have  also  taught 
us  what  to  avoid,  and  we  cannot  but  profit  by  their 
experience.    The  trial  of  all  kinds  of  systems  and  different 


178 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


apparatus  is  bound  to  end  in  the  survival  of  the  fittest,  and 
while  our  cousins  have  had  to  pay  for  finding  out  which  is 
the  fittest,  we  can  begin  where  they  leave  off. 

The  incandescent  lamp  is,  as  we  have  seen,  limited  in  its 
application  to  lantern  work,  for  the  reason  that  it  is,  com- 
pared with  the  lime-light,  wanting  both  in  intensity  and  in 
concentration ;  but  it  is  quite  within  the  bounds  of  possi- 
bility that  some  substance  may  be  found  other  than  carbon 
which  will  obviate  these  disadvantages.  In  the  meantime, 
the  arc  system  is  the  one  to  which  we  must  look  for  the 
extreme  brilliancy  which  is  required,  and  absolutely  neces- 
sary where  a  large  disc  is  in  question.  The  largest  disc  to 
which  we  can  at  present  point  as  an  example  is  that  used 
during  the  photographic  exhibitions  which  take  place 
annually  at  the  Crystal  Palace,  and  which  measures  about 
thirty  feet  in  diameter.  This,  although  immense  for 
most  places,  looks  small  in  the  large  theatre  in  which  it  is 
placed,  and  there  is  little  doubt  that  if  a  much  larger  one 
were  required,  no  form  of  lime-light  would  give  sufficient 
brilliancy  to  show  the  pictures  effectively.  It  is  here  that  the 
arc  lamp  would  present  such  agreat  advantage  over  previously 
used  luminants,  and  there  are  now  few  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  its  use,  especially  in  a  place  where  the  apparatus 
for  producing  the  current  is  already  installed. 

Some  writers  have  asserted  that  lantern  pictures  of  a 
certain  density  are  fit  only  for  exhibition  by  lime-light,  and 
that  for  oil  lanterns  they  should  be  of  a  much  less  intense 
character.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that  the  electric  arc 
lamp  is  of  such  a  searching  nature  that  slides  for  exhibition 
by  it  must  be  purposely  prepared  so  that  the  image  shall 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


179 


be  of  the  blackest  nature.  I  am  certain  that  this  is 
altogether  a  mistake.  A  good  slide  will  show  well  what- 
ever be  the  nature  of  the  light  employed,  and  is  generally 
best  when  the  light  is  most  brilliant.  A  good  slide  should 
be  full  of  delicate  detail,  and,  while  of  good  density,  should 
exhibit  in  its  highest  lights  absolutely  clear  glass.  Everyone 
knows  that  the  less  of  this  clear  space  there  is  in  a  picture, 
the  better  the  effect ;  but  there  are  some  processes  where  it 
is  difficult  to  get  them  at  all.  Such  slides  will  not  show 
well  by  any  light,  and  should  be  at  once  condemned,  unless 
nothing  better  of  some  wanted  subject  is  procurable. 

I  have  already  hinted  that  in  the  electric  lantern  used  by 
the  Society  of  Arts — the  only  one  of  its  kind  at  present 
employed  in  London — there  is  some  difficulty  in  keeping  the 
light  spot  exactly  central.  I  judge  merely  from  what  I 
noted  on  a  recent  occasion  when  I  formed  one  of  the  audience 
which  listened  to  a  lecture  there,  and  the  difficulty  manifested 
itself  by  an  occasional  shading  of  one  side  of  the  disc  to  the 
great  detriment  of  the  picture  which  happened  to  be  shown 
at  the  time.  Less  critical  persons  would  not  notice,  perhaps, 
that  anything  was  wrong,  and  the  exhibition  generally,  with 
that  exception,  was  well  enough.  But  the  real  test  of  a 
well-centred  light  is  not  found  in  its  employment  with  the 
ordinary  optical  lantern — when  a  certain  divergence  is,  as  in 
the  case  quoted,  allowable,  if  not  exactly  desirable.  If,  how- 
ever, the  same  light  were  tried  with  a  good  lantern  micro- 
scope, fitted  with  a  high  power,  its  shortcomings  would  be 
immediately  accentuated,  for  the  slight  divergerce  notice- 
able in  the  lantern  projection  would  become  so  magnified 
in  the  microscope  that  the  image  would  probably  disappear 


180 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


with  every  flicker  of  the  arc  from  one  side  of  the  carbons 
to  the  other. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  greatest  amount  of  light  from  the 
arc  lamp  for  projection  purposes  where  it  is  necessary  that 
the  rays  should  strike  in  one  direction  only,  particular 
attention  should  be  directed  to  the  position  of  the  carbon 
pencils  with  regard  to  one  another.  If,  as  in  most  regula- 
tors for  general  lighting,  the  one  carbon  is  immediately 
above  .  the  other,  they  gradually 
assume  a  shape,  under  the  action  of 
their  own  intense  heat,  which  pre- 
vents 1he  best  results  being  attained. 
It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  examine 
the  arclight  with  the  unprotected 
eye,  and  very  little  of  the  phenomena 
attending  it  can  be  seen  even  if  the 
protection  of  smoked  glass  is  in- 
voked, for  the  glare  is  far  too  in- 
tense. But  an  image  of  the  burning 
carbons  (see  fig.  63)  can  easily  be  thrown  on  a  screen 
by  the  interposition  of  an  objective  lens,  and  the 
picture  thus  formed  is  a  very  beautiful  one.  The  upper  or 
positive  carbon  wastes  away  at  double  the  rate  of  tho 
other,  and  as  it  wastes,  a  cavernous  opening  appears  at  its 
end.  The  negative  or  lower  carbon,  on  the  other  hand, 
preserves,  as  it  wastes  away,  a  pointed  form.  Around  and 
between  them  is  seen  a  faint  luminosity  of  violet  hue — this 
is,  in  fact,  the  arc  itself — which  gives  very  little  radiance. 
The  brilliance  really  comes  from  the  white-hot  ends  of  the 
carbon  rods,  and  it  stands  to  reason  that  if  the  crater  in  the 


V 

J 

up 

m 

**- 

k 

•;■•"'-'! 

Fig.  63. 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


181 


one  reaches  a  certain  depth,  its  edge  must  obscure  a  per- 
ceptible amount  of  the  available  light. 

This  was  first  discovered  about  twelve  years  ago,  at  the 
time  some  experiments  were  being  carried  out  at  the  South 
Foreland,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  be^t  disposi- 
tion of  the  carbons  for  lighthouse  purposes. 
An  American  Commission  also  at  one  time 
busied  themselves  with  the  same  question,  and 
both  English  and  Americans  reported  that  there 
is  a  great  loss  of  light  if,  when  the  radiance  is 
required  in  one  direction  only,  the  carbons  are 
placed  exactly  one  above  the  other.  This  led 
to  the  position  being  adopted  which  is  shown 
in  fig.  64,  and  which  results  in  a  gain  of  light 
of  about  66  per  cent.  A  still  further  gain  is 
obtained  by  sloping  the  carbon  rods,  while  at 
the  same  time  the  lower  one  is  in  advance  of  the  upper  one, 
so  that  the  interior  of  the  positive  crater  is  turned  towards 
the  direction  in  which  the  light  is  required  to  stream.  This 
idea  is  well  carried  out  in  a  form  of  regulator  which  has 
many  other  valuable  points  which  fit  it  remarkably  well  for 
projection  work.  To  this  regulator  1  will  next  direct  the 
reader's  attention. 


Fig.  64. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE  SAME  SUBJECT  CONTINUED. 

HE  Brockie-Pell  regulator,  originally  designed 
for  the  more  general  purposes  of  electric 
illumination,  has  been  adapted  to  projection 
work  by  Messrs.  Newton  and  Co.,  of  Fleet 
Street.  Referring  to  fig.  65,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  apparatus  consists  of  a  metal  box  having  one  of 
its  sides  sloping,  parallel  with  which  are  carried  the  carbon 
rods.  The  upper  rod  does  not  need  any  detailed  description 
beyond  indicating  that  it  is  set  well  back,  so  that  its  outer 
edge  is  in  a  line  with  the  centre  of  the  lower  pencil,  as  in 
the  case  last  dealt  with.  It  is  supported  on  an  arm  which 
projects  from  a  central  pillar,  and  which  moves  down  as 
the  carbon  pencil  wastes  away,  the  entire  arrangement 
being  kept  in  position  by  the  fixed  rod  a,  upon  which  the 
moveable  part  slides  to  and  fro.  The  lower  carbon  is  con- 
tinually pressed  against  a  collar  c  by  the  action  of  the 
spring  d,  while  the  exact  length  of  the  arc  can  be  regulated 


EVENING  WORK,  ETC. 


183 


by  the  screw  e.  tt  are  terminals  where  the  wires  convey- 
ing the  current  are  attached. 

Messrs.  Newton  have  also  devised  an  electric  lantern  of 
novel  and  ingenious  form,  in  which  this  regulator  is  em- 
ployed.   Tt  diners  from  the  general  form  of  optical  lanterns 

in  being  cylindrical,  and  it 
is  wholly  made  of  metal. 
The  body  M  M  (see  fig.  66), 
made  of  Russian  iron,  is 
pierced  with  three  main 
openings.  One,  W,  is  for 
the  attachment  of  a  micro- 
scope, another,  L,  is  fitted 
with  the  ordinary  objective 
for  lantern  projection,  while 
the  third  is  furnished  with 
an  adjustable  slit  for  spec- 
trum projection.  The  body 
of  the  lantern  can  easily  be 
turned  round  so  that  any 
one  of  these  nozzles  can  be 
brought  into  employment. 
Fig.  65.  £ut    f0r    spectrum  work, 

where  the  light  spot  must  not  face  the  screen,  the  entire 
apparatus  turns  upon  a  central  pivot,  the  base-board 
being  in  two  halves.  The  lower  half  remains  fixed,  while 
the  upper  one  turns  on  its  pivot  until  the  right  angle 
is  obtained.  T  is  the  body  of  the  regulator,  and  EEE 
are  three  milled-edged  discs  by  which  it  can  be  raised  or 
lowered,  moved  backward  or  forward,  and  to  the  right  or 


184 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


left  respectively.  By  this  means  the  spot  of  light  can  be 
most  exactly  centred.      This  lantern  presents  the  most 


Fig.  66. 


complete  and  perfect  projection  apparatus  ever  devised,  and 
is  designed  principally  for  use  in  science  schools  and 
colleges. 

It  is  only  those  who  have  had  experience  of  science 
teaching  who  know  the  value  of  an  experiment  both  to 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


185 


teacher  and  pupil.  It  is  often  difficult  to  make  young  scholars 
understand  the  nature  of  an  experiment  from  mere 
verbal  description,  even  if  the  words  be  illustrated  by  care- 
ful drawings  on  the  blackboard.  But  directly  the  thing  is 
seen  itself,  all  becomes  plain  sailing.  The  pupils  take 
immediate  interest  in  the  matter  in  hand,  and  the  master 
feels  that  they  are  doing  so,  and  redoubles  his  efforts  to 
make  them  understand  aright.  One  feels  inclined  to  envy 
the  teacher  who  has  this  cylindrical  lantern  at  his  elbow 
with  which  to  illustrate  his  remarks.  At  one  moment 
he  may  want  to  show  a  few  diagrams,  which  possibly 
have  been  prepared  for  him  as  lantern  slides  by  the 
senior  pupils ;  next  he  may  desire  to  illustrate  the 
structure  of  some  organism  by  means  of  the  microscope, 
and  the  instrument  is  at  once  ready  for  use.  The  great 
advantage  gained  in  the  use  of  a  lantern  microscope  for  class 
teaching  can  hardly  be  realised  except  by  those  who  have 
seen  a  large  histological  class  at  work  at  one  of  our  hospital 
schools,  each  member  of  which  has  a  microscope  before  him, 
and  is  peering  into  it  as  the  teacher  does  his  best  to  describe 
what  each  ought  to  see.  Now  it  is  obvious  that  each  student 
is  looking  at  a  different  slide,  and  although  these  slides  will 
have  features  in  common,  they  cannot  all  be  the  same.  But 
in  the  case  of  the  lantern  microscope,  each  student  has  his 
attention  directed  to  the  enlarged  image  of  the  same  object, 
and  the  teacher  can  with  his  pointer  show  the  well-marked 
peculiarities  of  the  subject.  The  spectroscope  can  as  readily 
be  brought  into  use  as  the  two  other  nozzles  of  the  electric 
lantern,  and  thus  the  teacher  has  a  very  wide  range  of  ex- 
perimental help  within  his  reach.    Under  other  conditions, 


186 


Evening  work  for 


an  experiment  won  Id  often  be  carefully  shunned,  on  account 
of  the  expense  and  trouble  involved  in  its  preparation  and 
demonstration. 

Mr.  G.  M.  Hopkins  describes,  in  his  admirable  work  "  Ex- 
perimental Science,"  an  adaptation  of  the  Jablochkoff  candle 
to  projection  purposes.  It  will  be  remembered  that  the  so- 
called  candle  made  a  sensation  when  first  introduced  in  this 
country,  for  it  was  looked  upon  as  a  simple  and  efficient  de- 
vice for  doing  away  with  all  the  mechanism  and  consequent 
expense  of  regulators.  For  some  years  the  Thames  Embank- 
ment was  lighted  by  these  candles,  and  the  effect  was  very 
beautiful,  but  the  expense  of  maintenance  was  too  great,  and 
the  lights  were  discontinued.  In  the  "  candle  "  the  carbons 
are  placed  side  by  side,  but  are  separated  and  insulated  from 
one  another  by  a  thin  wall  of  plaster,  which  is  consumed  as 
the  two  carbons  gradually  waste  away.  As  this  waste  must 
be  equal,  the  candles  can  only  be  used  with  a  dynamo 
machine  which  gives  an  alternating  current-,  that  is  to  say, 
a  current  which  changes  its  direction  continually. 

For  projection  work  Mr.  Hopkins  employs  this  candle  in 
a  horizontal  position,  so  that  its  luminous  end  is  presented 
towards  the  condenser  of  the  lantern,  and  its  radiance  is  con- 
centrated at  this  spot  by  an  ingenious  device.  This  consists 
of  a  helix  of  wire  placed  around  the  end  of  the  candle, 
through  which  the  same  current  which  supplies  the  light  is 
caused  to  flow,  with  the  result  that  the  arc  is  attracted 
towards  the  ring  or  helix,  in  opposition  to  its  tendency  to 
follow  the  direction  of  the  carbon  rods.  The  horizontal 
"  candle  "  slides  in  a  suitable  support,  and  can  be  kept  at 
the  correct  distance  from  the  condenser  by  manipu^ting  an 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


187 


ebonite  handle  at  the  further  end.  As  the  Jablochkoff 
candle  consumes  at  the  rate  of  about  ten  inches  an  hour,  it 
is  obvious  that  its  use  in  the  lantern  must  be  confined  to  ex- 
perimental purposes,  One  very  serious  defect  it  has,  which 
is  this  :  if  from  any  cause  the  light  is  quenched,  it  will  not 
recover  itself  automatically — the  two  ends  of  the  carbons 
must  be  touched  with  some  conducting  medium  before  the 
arc  can  be  re-established. 

This  consideration  led,  some  few  months  after  the  intro- 
duction of  the  electric  candle,  to  a  modification  by  M. 
Rapieff.  He  placed  the  carbons  side  by  side,  as  in  the 
Jablochkoff  arrangement,  but  dispensed  with  the  separating 
wall  of  plaster,  and  substituted  for  it  a  wall  of  air.  The 
carbons  were  set  in  two  sockets  about  three-eighths  of  an  inch 
apart,  and  if  the  light  was  extinguished  their  ends  fell  to- 
gether, and  immediately  sprang  apart  again  when  the  arc 
was  established.  This  plan  could  readily  be  adapted  to  lan- 
tern purposes,  but  the  fault  of  quick  consumption  would 
still  remain  uncorrected. 

Some  years  ago  a  system  which  was  at  the  time  regarded 
as  novel,  and  from  which  great  results  were  anticipated, 
was  exhibited  in  London.  It  was  known  as  the  Werder- 
mann  method  of  electric  lighting,  and  its  most  noticeable 
feature  was  that  it  combined  in  one  light  the  principle  of 
the  arc  and  incandescent  systems.  It  might  be  correctly 
described,  in  fact,  as  an  incandescent  pencil  of  carbon,  round 
which  was  developed  an  arc  light.  It  was  really  founded 
upon  a  previous  invention  by  Reynier,  whose  intention  it 
was  to  combine  the  two  systems  as  far  as  it  was  possible  to 
do  so.    To  this  end  he  arranged  the  two  carbons  in  an 


188 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


entirely  new  manner,  making  the  lower  one  of  large  size, 
and  giving  it  a  fixed  position,  while  the  upper  one,  in  the 
form  of  an  extremely  narrow  pencil,  le.s  than  a  quarter  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  rested  upon  it  and  pressed  upon  it  with 
the  force  derived  from  a  heavy  holder.  As  the  thin  carbon 
was  practically  consumed  at  the  point  of  contact,  it 
advanced,  owing  to  the  downward  pressure  of  the  holder 
with  which  it  was  associated,  but  at  the  same  time  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  ash  accumulated.  To  get  rid  of  this 
difficulty,  Reynier  caused  the  lower  carbon  block  to  revolve 
so  that  the  ashes  fell  away  as  fast  as  they  were  generated. 
This  rotary  movement,  of  course,  involved  a  train  of  clock- 
work, or  other  convenient  mechanism,  and  at  once  the 
"  sweet  simplicity  "  of  the  contrivance  disappeared. 

In  Werdermann's  lamp  this  difficulty  with  regard  to  the 
accumulation  of  ashes  was  met  in  another  way.  He  re- 
versed the  positions  of  the  two  carbons,  placing  the  larger 
one  uppermost,  and  forcing  the  narrow  pencil  which  the 
other  presented  upwards  against  it  by  the  action  of  a  coun- 
terweight. The  position  and  form  of  the  two  carbons  is 
shown  in  the  annexed  figure.  The  upper 
carbon  is  in  shape  like  a  pastrycook's  buny 
and  it  was  held  in  position  by  a  curved 
arm.  The  lower  carbon  worked  in  a  tube? 
like  a  spring  candle  in  its  socket,  only  that 
the  force  which  drove  it  upwards  as  it  was 
gradually  consumed  was  a  weight.  The 
Fig.  67.  ashes  as  they  were  formed  fell  away  by 
gravity,  and  they  were  almost  entirely  due  to  the  wasting 
of  the  lower  carbon,  the  heavy  block  above  showing  little 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


189 


trace  of  deterioration  after  several  hours,  burning.  The 
Werdermann  lamp  never,  I  believe,  got  beyond  the  ex- 
perimental form  ;  the  reason  probably  being  that  it 
required  a  wasteful  amount  of  electrical  energy  for  its 
support.  But  it  certainly  had  merit  in  preserving  the 
point  of  radiance  in  one  fixed  position,  and  I  have  always 
thought  that  in  a  modified  form  it  might  for  this  reason 
be  well  adapted  for  lantern  projection,  although  it  failed  to 
meet  the  requirements  necessary  in  a  lamp  for  general  use. 
The  Werdermann  principle  seems  to  have  been  lately 
revived  in  the  Russell  arc  lamp,  which  was  recently  brought 
forward  in  America,  and  which  I  believe  has  already  made 
its  debut  in  this  country.  The  Russell  lamp  is  said  to  burn 
twice  as  lor  g  as  an  ordinary  arc  lamp  without  retrimming  or 
any  other  attention.  The  upper  carbon  is  in  the  form  of  a 
disc,  the  edge  of  which  is  presented  towards  the  pencil  which 
forms  the  lower  electrode.  This  disc  slowly  revolves,  so  that 
at  every  revolution  there  is  a  certain  amount  burnt  off  its 
edge ;  provision  is  therefore  made  for  slightly  lowering  the 
disc  as  a  whole  at  each  revolution.  The  action  continues  in 
this  way  until  the  disc  is  almost  entirely  consumed.  The 
Russell  lamp  will  burn  for  eighteen  hours,  and  by  a  slight 
modification  of  parts  can  be  made  to  last  for  twenty-four 
hours  at  a  stretch,  and  the  cost  of  the  carbons,  weight  for 
weight,  is  less  than  under  the  usual  system  of  similar  rods 
for  positive  and  negative  electrodes.  The  light  being  per- 
fectly stationary,  this  form  of  lamp  would  seem  to  be 
specially  adapted  to  that  class  of  work  where  the  point  of 
radiance  must  be  kept  in  unision  with  the  centre  of  an 
optical  system.  ^ 


190 


EVENING  WORK  FOR 


Werdermann  published  the  results  of  many  interesting 
experiments  which  he  made  in  using  carbons  of  different 
sizes  in  connection  with  one  another,  and  showed  that  their 
shapes  altered  under  the  action  of  the  electric  current.  The 
form  of  lamp  which  he  ultimately  adopted  was  founded  on 
the  following  observation,  which  may  be  given  in  his  own 
words  : — "  When  the  sections  of  the  electrodes  are  nearly 
as  1  to  64,  and  they  have  been  placed  in  contact,  no  light 
is  any  longer  given  off  by  the  positive  electrode  [this  is  the 
upper  one  in  the  annexed  cut].  The  negative  one  alone 
produces  the  light.  It  is  curious  that  when  a  voltaic  arc  is 
set  up  between  the  two  carbons,  the  smaller  electrode  is 
always  shaped  into  a  point,  whether  it  be  positive  or  nega- 
tive.v 

Some  time  ago  I  arranged  a  modified  form  of  Werder- 
mann lamp  for  lecture -table  demonstration,  and  I  have 
always  found  it  to  act  with  extreme  steadiness  and  bril- 
liance. The  upper  carbon  is  of  the  shape  already  described, 
and  is  fixed  upon  an  arm  which  projects  from  an  upright 
supporting  pillar.  Upon  the  same  vertical  support,  but 
lower  down,  is  placed  a  lever  arm,  which  holds  in  a  clip  the 
lower  carbon  (pencil),  and  which  has  at  its  free  end  a  sliding 
weight,  the  position  of  which  is  governed  by  the  amount  of 
current  at  disposal.  From  experiments  I  have  made,  I  feel 
confident  that  this  form  of  lamp,  if  modified,  to  some  extent 
*vould  be  serviceable  for  lantern  work.  One  modification 
would  be  the  sloping  position  of  the  lower  carbon  rod,  which 
has  already  been  illustrated  in  the  Brockie-Pell  form  of 
regulator. 

I  have  not  in  these  chapters  dwelt  in  detail  upon  the 


AMATEUR  PHOTOGRAPHERS. 


191 


application  of  the  electric  light  to  studio  work,  because  at 
the  present  time  such  an  application  is  beyond  the  reach  of 
the  ordinary  amateur.  The  arrangement  generally  adopted 
is  to  place  a  simple  form  of  arc  regulator  in  a  large  whitened 
concave  reflector  above  the  sitter's  head,  the  direct  rays  being 
stopped  by  a  shade.  This  reflector  is  moveable,  so  that  its 
position  can  be  shifted  during  the  brief  exposure  necessary. 
It  is  within  the  power  of  any  one  resident  in  London  to  see 
the  arrangement  for  himself  by  patronising  one  of  the 
studios  where  the  system  is  in  use. 


INDEX. 


A 

Adding  clouds  to  bromide  prints, 
116. 

Adulteration,  127. 
Advantages  of  quarter-plate,  22. 
Amateur  lectures,  31. 
Apparatus,  Fergusson's,  63. 
Apparatus  for  enlarging,  118. 
Arc,  Electric,  180. 

B 

Backing  plates,  26. 

Batteries,  152. 

Battery  cell,  166. 

Battery,  Plante's,  170. 

Battery  plates,  Treatment  of,  164. 

Battery,  Secondary,  168. 

Beck's  flash  lamp,  134. 

Bichromate  battery,  157. 

salts,  160. 
Block,  Cutting,  10. 

Mitre,  82. 
Box,  Changing,  23. 
Brockie-Pel  regulator,  182. 


Bromide  paper,  108. 
prints,  Fixing,  111. 


C 

Camera,  Marion's  lantern-slide,  51. 

Cameras,  Detective,  24. 

Candle,  Electric,  186. 

Captain  Colomb's  lamp,  123. 

Caves,  Photographing,  130. 

Celluloid,  7. 

Changing  box,  23. 

Cheap  electric  battery,  162. 

Chloride  plates,  70. 

Cloud  negatives,  75. 

Clouds,  73. 

in  bromide  prints,  116. 

incongruous,  77. 

shutter,  76. 
Condensing  lens,  62. 
Contacts,  Electric,  163. 
Copying  Camera,  Perkins',  59. 
Cowan's  cutting  board,  11,  13. 
Crystal  Palace  lantern  screen,  68, 
178. 


194 


INDEX. 


Cutting  block,  10. 
board,  Cowan's,  11,  13. 
glass,  9. 
mitres,  85. 
rebates,  80. 


D 

Davy's  experiments,  143. 
Detective  cameras,  24. 
Developing  dishes,  112,  113. 
Diamond,  Glazier's,  6. 
Direct  enlarged  negatives,  106. 
Dishes,  Developing,  112,  113. 
Dr.  Fleming's  lantern,  175. 
Dust  explosions,  128. 


E 

Easel  for  enlargements,  115. 
Edison  and  Swan  lamp,  176. 
Edison's  first  glow  lamp,  152. 
Electrical  microscope,  175. 
Electrically-lit  optical  lantern,  173. 
Electric  Arc,  180. 

battery,  Cheap,  162. 

battery,  Davy's,  143. 

candle,  186. 

carbons,  146. 

carbons,  position  of,  181. 

contacts,  163. 

lamp,  Newton's,  183. 

lantern,  179. 

light,  142. 

regulators,  145. 
Enlarging,  103. 

apparatus,  118. 

negatives  direct,  106. 
Exhibitions,  Lantern,  31,  34. 
Explosions,  Dust,  128. 


F 

Fashion  in  frames,  90. 
Fergusson's  apparatus,  63. 
Fixing  bromide  prints,  111. 
Flash  lamp,  Beck's,  134. 

Marion's,  137. 

Leisk's,  135. 

stand,  136. 
Flash  light  photography,  121. 
Frame  making,  78. 
Frames,  Fashion  in,  90. 

gilding,  94,  97. 
Fretwork,  102. 

G 

Gaedicke's  powder,  125. 
Gas  battery,  Groves',  169. 
Gelatine  plates  for  lantern  slides, 
69. 

Gilding  frames,  94,  97. 
Glass,  Cutting,  9. 

plate,  15. 

sheet,  15. 
Glazier's  diamond,  Use  of,  6. 
Glazing  a  picture,  88. 
Greener  and  Stait's  lamp,  150. 
Ground  glass,  16. 
Groves'  gas  battery,  169. 

H 

Halation,  25. 
Hollow  lenses,  63. 

I 

Incandescent  system,  148. 
Incongruous  clouds,  77. 
Intensification  and  reduction,  72. 


INDEX. 


195 


Interior  photography,  129. 
Introduction,  1. 
Isochromatic  plates,  28. 

K 

King's  patent  lamp,  147. 
Konn's  lamp,  151. 

L 

Lamp,  Captain  Colomb's,  123. 

Kussell's,  189. 

Werdermann's,  188. 
Lantern,  Dr.  Fleming's,  175. 

exhibitions,  31,  34. 

pictures,  Clouds  in,  73. 

screens,  67. 

screen  at  Crystal  Palace,  68,  178. 

slide  negatives,  17. 

slides  by  reduction,  54. 

slides  on  gelatine  plates,  69. 

Water,  65. 
Lectures,  Amateur,  31. 
Leisk's  centrifugal  lamp,  135. 

cloud  shutter,  76. 
Lens,  Condensing,  62. 
Lenses,  Hollow,  63. 

Single,  19. 

Water,  66. 

M 

Magnesium  light,  121. 
Magnetic  current,  177. 
Making  frames,  78. 
Marion's  flash  lamp,  137. 

lantern- slide  camera,  54. 
Microscope,  Electric,  175. 
Mitre  block,  82. 

cutting,  85. 


N 

Negatives  for  lantern  slides,  17. 

of  clouds,  75. 
Newton's  electric  lamp,  183. 

lantern,  184. 


O 

Optical  lantern,  Electrical,  173. 
Oxford  frames,  79. 

P 

Paper,  Bromide,  108. 
Perken's  copying  camera,  59. 
Photography  by  flash  light,  121. 
Photographing  caves,  130. 

interiors,  129. 
Picture  glazing,  88. 
Plante's  battery,  170. 
Plate  glass,  15. 
Plates,  Backing  for,  26. 

Chloride,  70. 

Isochromatic,  28. 
Plate-making,  4. 
Position  of  electric  carbons,  181. 

Q 

Quarter  plate,  Advantages  of,  22. 
R 

Rebate  cutter,  80. 
Reducing  camera,  Shew's,  57. 
Reduction  and  Intensification,  72. 

Lantern  slides  by,  54. 
Regulator,  Brockie-Pel,  182. 
Russell's  lamp,  189. 


196 


INDEX. 


s 

Sebanchieff  s  battery,  154. 
Screens,  Lantern,  67. 
Secondary  battery,  168. 
Sheet  glass,  15. 
Shew's  reducing  camera,  57. 
Simple  plunge  battery,  159. 
Single  lens,  19. 

Society  of  Art's  electric  lantern, 
179. 

Stained  albumen  for  transparen- 
cies, 45. 
Stand  for  flash  lamps,  136. 


T 

Transparencies  on  stained  albumen, 
45. 

Treatment  of  battery  plates,  164. 
W 

Water  lantern,  65. 

lens,  66. 
Werdermann's  lamp,  188. 


Printed  by  Haze  It,  Watson,  &>  Viney,  Ld.  London  and  Aylesbury 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


197 


J.  H.  STEWARD'S 

AND 

Dissolving  View 

LANTERNS 

OF  THE 

HIGHEST  QUALITY. 

AT 

MODERATE  PRICES. 

Steward's  Standard  Bi-Unial  Lantern. 
STEWARD'S 

PH  OTOG  E  N I C 

LANTERNS 

ARE  THE 
FOR 

DRAWING-ROOM  OR  SCHOOL  USE,  StewardVPkSogenic 

3-wick  Oil  Lantern. 
AND  FOR  ENLARGING.  From   £2   2  0 

ILLUSTRATED  CATALO&UES  &EATIS  AND  POST  EREE. 
BEARD'S  /^utonjatic  Regulators  &  Cor^pressd  Gas  in  Cylinders. 

LARGE  STOCK  OF  PHOTOGRAPHS  &  HIGH-CLASS  COLOURED 
SLIDES  &  EFFECTS  ON  SALE  OR  HIRE. 


OPTICIAN  TO  THE  GOVERNMENT  AND  TO  UNIVERSITIES  OF  ENGLAND,  CANADA, 
AMERICA,  AND  RUSSIA. 

406,  457,  Strand ;  54,  Cornhill,  London. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


MARION'S  PHOTO.  PROCESSES 

FOR 

"EVENING  WORK." 

 )  •  ♦  »  <  

gtnfavgtng  2>\?  Jlrfiftctaf  c£tc$f . 

BY  means  of  an  Enlarging  Apparatus  and  Bromide  Paper  the  Amateur  can 
Enlarge  from  his  small  Negatives  to  any  Size  he  may  desire.    It  is  easy  to 
work,  and  can  be  done  in  the  Evenings. 

THE  ECONOMICAL  ENLARGING  CAMERA, 

For  ENLARGING  from  J-plate  or  J-plate  Negatives  up  to  12  x  10  on  PAPER  or  OPAL. 
Price  complete,  with^Lens,  30/-  ;  Packing  extra,  2/6. 

MARION'S  SUPERIOR  ENLARGING  APPARATUS 

Is  a  higher  class  of  article,  is  fitted  with  a  pair  of  Piano -convex  Condensers,  and  is  fitted 
with  a  powerful  Triple-wick  Lamp.  By  means  of  this  Apparatus  Enlargements  can  be  made 
up  to  any  size  desired.  Including- 

Front  Lens. 

Lantern,  with  5I  in.  Condensers,  fully  covering  4^  x  3^  plate  ...£4  10  0   ...  £5  10  0 
„         „    8^  in.  „  „  6£  x  4|    „      ...    8   0   0    ...     10   5  0 

„         „  iojin.  „  „  8|  x  6|   „      ...  13   0   0    ...     18   0  0 

The  two  Larger  Sizes  are  fitted  with  Carriers  for  the  smaller  size  plates. 
We  may  mention  that  the  above  A pparatus  makes  a  very  good  Magic  Lantern. 

MARION'S  BROMIDE  PAPER 

Gives  the  best  Results,  is  very  Rapid,  easy  to  Work,  and  gives  splendid  results  by  con- 
tact printing. 

Prices,  in  Packets  of  12  Sheets,  6|  x  4f,  1/6  ;  8|  x  6J,  2/6  ;  10  x  8,  3/6. 

EI^OflOCEfl  is  the  best  Developer  for  Bromide  Paper. 
MAKING  TRANSPARENCIES  AND  LANTERN  SLIDES. 

Most  interesting  work  for  the  Evenings,  and  what  is  nicer  than  Transparencies  of  Views  and 
Portraits  for  the  Window  ?  whilst  Photographic  Lantern  Slides  are  always  interesting.  Cowan's 
Chloride  Plates  give  the  most  Beautiful  Coloured  Transparencies,  but  are  only  suitable  for 
printing  in  contact.  When  reductions  have  to  be  made,  then  it  is  advisable  to  use  Cowan's 
Chloro-Bromide  Plates,  and  also  when  quickness  of  Exposure  in  contact  printing  is  an  object. 
Both  kinds  are  the  same  price  : — 

3?X34,  1/-  ;  4x3^,  1/-  ;  6jx4|,  2/3  ;  8§x6§,  4/3;  10x8,  7/3  ;  12X10,  10/-  per  doz. 

GRIFFITHS'  LANTERN  SLIDE-MAKING  CAMERA 

Meets  the  long-felt  want  for  an  Instrument  that  is  always  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to 
produce  Lantern  Slides  from  Larger  Sizes  of  Negatives.  It  is  fitted  with  a  good 
Lens,  and  this  is  always  in  focus  for  making  the  Reduction  ;  all  that  is  necessary  to  be  done  is  to 
put  the  Negative  into  the  groove  at  one  end,  and  the  Chloro-Bromide  Plate  at  the  other,  and  make 
the  Exposure.    This  can  be  done  by  Gas  or  Lamplight  in  the  Evenings. 

Prices  Complete  : — 

To  Reduce  from  J-plate  Negative,  12/6  ;  T~plate>  15/-  ;  12  x  10  (adjustable  for  smaller  sizes),  21/-. 
Oblong  Cameras,  to  take  in  the  whole  of  the  Plate,  J-plate,  14/6  ;  \ -plate,  17/6. 
♦♦♦^♦♦♦❖♦♦^♦■»^ 

MARION  &  CO.,  22  &  23,  Soho  Square,  LONDON. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


199 


MAGIC  LANTERNS! 

AMATEURS   SHOULD   SEND  FOR 

MR.  HUGHES'  FULL  ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE, 

Over  300 pp.,  Is.,  postage  5d.  /  small  ditto,  6cL,  postage  2d. 

Giving  useful  and  valuable  information, 
Also  Prices  of  every  Description  of  Lantern,  Apparatus,  Slides,  etc.,  extant. 
Very  Cheapest  and  Best.    Over  15  Patents  for  Lantern  Improvements. 
PERFECTION    IN    EVERY  DIRECTION. 

In  proof  of  this  Mr.  Hughes  has  constructed  this  season  a  most  magnificent 
TRIPLE  for  B.  J.  MALDEN,  Esq. 

The  Docwra  Triple  also  gained  the  only  Prize  Medal  &  Highest  Award. 

Used  nightly  at  the  Royal  Polytechnic  Institution ;  and  supplied  to  Colin 
Docwra,  Esq.,  Dr.  H.  Grattan  Guiness,  Captain  Selwyn,  M.P.,  Dr.  F.  Maude, 
John  Docwra,  Esq.,  Captain  Charles  Reade,  etc.  ;  Rev.  Frank  White  uses  his 
high-class  Lanterns  and  Objectives.  Therefore,  do  not  invest  in  the  common 
commercial  things,  but  have  direct 

A  FIS$ST-CU\SS  If^STRUWjENT  at  a  little  more  than  Commercial  Price. 


THE  PATENT  PAIYI  PH  ENGOS 

Has  stood  the  test  against  all  Imitations,  and  stands  alone,  and 
approaches  Limelight. 
Price,  with  4  in.  Condensers,  £2  10s.  ;  commercial  ^-wick  Lanterns,  £1  15s.  6d. 

New  CheapScience  Lanterns  for  all  Purposes;  Oxy-Hydrogen,  Microscopes,  etc. 

PATENT  PRESTO  CARRIER,  AN  INNOVATION  FOR  SINGLE  LANTERNS. 

PATENT  SKELETON,  TRIPLE,  &  BI-UNIAL  LANTERNS 

For  Travelling  Exhibitors.    A  Marvel  of  Portability. 

60,000  SLIDES  FROM  6d.  EACH ;  300  LECTURE  SETS. 

THE 

PATENT   BIJOU    ENLARGING  LANTERN, 

With  RECTANGULAR  CONDENSERS.    Perfect  Results,  Scientifically  con- 
sidered.   Special  5  X  4,  £7  15s.  6d. 

Before  deciding,  consult  Mr.  HUGHES,  who,  as  a  Specialist  and  Manufacturer, 
can  give  greater  value  than  others  in  technical  detail. 
ADDRESS  :— 

MR.  HUGHES, 

Brewster  House,  Mortimer  Road,  Kingsland,  N. 


200 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


W.  H-  HUMPHRIES  &  CO., 

MANUFACTURERS  AND  DEALERS 

IN  HIGH-CLASS 

Optical  Lanterns,  Apparatus,  and  Slides, 

SCIENTIFIC  ACCESSORIES  FOR  USE  WITH  LANTERNS, 
MECHANICAL  AND  DISSOLVING  VIEW  EFFECTS, 

ETC., 

SOLE  MAKERS  OF  THE 

u  KALOPTICON  11  RUSSIAN  IRON  LANTERN, 

With  4-wick  Lamp,  £3  15s.,  adapted  for  Limelight. 
CHEAP  LANTERNS  from  27s.,  with  4-inch  Condensers  and3-wick  Lamp. 


OUR    NEW    HAND  CAMERA, 


"THE  QUADRANT," 

Surpasses  all  for  simplicity  and  compactness,  all  the  working  parts  being  underneath. 

The  Amateur  Photographer  says  :  "  We  have  every  confidence  in  recommending 
them  to  our  readers.    They  are  well  finished,  and  made  with  the  greatest  care." 

Photographic  Reporter  says  :  "  One  of  the  BEST  CAMERAS  that  has  ever  passed 
through  our  hands." 


Lists  and  Full  Description  of  Photographic  Apparatus  and  Optical  Lanterns 
for  Home  and  Public  Use  free. 


W.  H,  HUMPHRIES  &  CO., 

268,    UPPER   STREET,   ISLINGTON,  LONDON,  N. 

Telegraphic  Address  :  Works  : 

«  FOCIMETER,  LONDON."  TO,  ELFOKT  ROAD,  N. 


ADVERTISEMENTS, 


201 


NEWTON'S  MAGIC  LANTERNS  &  DISSOLVING  YIEWS. 


The  SLIDES  are  photo- 
graphed and  painted  on 
the  premises  in  Oil  Colours 
and  are  tin  surpassed  for 
transparency  and  finish. 
Many  thousands  always 
in  stock. 


NEWTON'S  IMPROVED  LANTERNS, 

Fitted  with  their  Patent  Refulgent  3-wick 
Paraffin  Lamp,  and  Large  Double  Achro- 
matic Front  Lenses,  in  Case,  £3  13s.  6d.  ; 
ditto,  ditto,   Four-inch  Condenser,  with 

their  Patent  4-wick  Lamp,  £4  10s. 
As  supplied  to  the  Indian  Government, 
Council  of  Education,  Science  and  Art 
Department,  London  School  Board,  etc. 

Dissolving- View  Apparatus,  £8  8s. 
Bi-unial  Lantern,  4  in.,  £9  to  £22. 

enlargTnTTai^terns. 

4-in.  Condenser  Patent  3-wick  Lamp 
complete  in  Case,  £4  10s. 
5-in.  ditto,  with  4-wick  Lamp, 
£5  18s.  6d. 


Catalogue  of  Lanterns  and 
Slides,  3d. 


NEWTON  &  CO.,  Opticians  &  Scientific  Instrument  Makers  to  the  Queen, 

Makers  of  every  description  of  Scientific  and  Physical  Apparatus  for  Colleges,  Institutions,  etc. 
^Special  Optical  Apparatus  for  Polariscopy,  Spectroscopy,  etc.,  for  Screen  Projection. 

Manufacturers  of  Lanterns  and  Slides  to  the  Government. 

 3,    FLEET    STREET,  LOXIM»\.  

LOCKYER'S 

Hydroquinone  Developer. 

Great  Improvements  have  been  effected  in  the  manufacture  of  this  well-known 
Developer.    It  may  now  be  said  to  be 

THE   MOST   PERFECT   IN   THE   MARKET  FOR 

Developing  Plates,  Transparencies,  Lantern  Slides,  Bromide  Papers,  &  Opals, 

Giving  better  results  than  may  be  obtained  by  using  any  of  the  published  formulae. 
Sold  in  Bottles,  Is.  3d.  and  2s.      Post  free  for  Is.  7d.  and  2s.  6d. 

SAMPLE  POST  FREE  FOR  SIX  STAMPS. 
MAY   BE    HAD    OF   ALL   DEALERS,    OR   DIRECT  FROM 

J.  E.  LOCKYER,  Chemist,  88,  Evelyn  St., 

DEPTFORD,  S.E. 


AGENTS  :— J.  FALLOWFIELD,  Charing  Cross  Road,  W. ;  W.  EDWARDS  &  SON,  157, 
Queen  Victoria  Street,  E.C. ;  SHEFFIELD  PHOTO.  CO.,  3,  Fargate,  Sheffield. 


202 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


MANUFACTURER 

OF  EVERY  ARTICLE  FOR 

THE  PHOTOGRAPHIC  COLOURIST. 

THE  ARTIST  IN  OIL  COLOURS. 
THE  ARTIST  IN  WATER  COLOURS, 

OF  SUPERIOR  QUALITY. 

24  SOHO  SQUARE,  LONDON, 

Catalogues  and  Circulars  Post  Free. 

CAMERAS,  LENSES, 

Enlarging  Lanterns,  and  Accessories.— All  Makes. 

Central  London  Agency  for  LANCASTER'S  and  other  Goods. 

Lanterns,  Slides  and  Apparatus  of  Every  Description 

CHEAPEST   HOUSE  FOR 

SECOND-HAND  &  NEW  APPARATUS. 

100,000  JSfitesitt  Ite^&lf^iijtotttatt  «F|ti$frttm*ttts* 

SINGLE  LANTERNS,  WITH  3-WICK  LAMPS,  from  30/-  complete. 
BI-UNIAL  LANTERNS,  from  5  Guineas.        TRIPLE  LANTERNS,  from  8  Guineas. 

WHOLESALE,  RETAIL,  AMD  FOR  EXPORTATiON.    Established  20  Years. 

LANTERNS  AND  SLIDES  ON  HIRE.    LISTS  FREE. 


CHATHAM  PEXTON 

{Member  of  the  Lecturers'  Association), 

DISSOLVING  VIEW  ARTIST  AND  MANUFACTURER, 

1st  &  2nd  Floors,  22.  GRAY'S  INN  ROAD,  H0LB0RN,  LONDON,  W.C., 
NEAR  HOLBORN. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


203 


F.  W.  VEREL  &  CO. 

M/\KE  TJ|E  BEST  /\N0  QUICKEST  PLATES  I JM  THE  I^A^KET, 

THE 

MOST  RELIABLE  SENSITIZED  PAPER  YET  INTRODUCED. 

NUMEROUS  AWARDS  for  WORK  on  our  PLATES  &  PAPER. 

30  ami  60  TOIES  PLATES.  Very  rich  in  Silver,  yielding  Superb  Negatives  with  delicate 
half-tones.    J-plates,  1/6  ;  J-plates,  3/6  ;  }-Plates»  6/-  J  12  x  IO»        Per  doz* 

MATCHLESS  PLATES.  At  the  price  unequalled.  Better  body  than  any  other  cheap  plate. 
Extreme  rapidity.    £-plate,  1/-  ;  ^-plates,  2/3  ;  ^-plates,  4/3  ;  12  x  10,  10/6  per  doz. 

LANTERN  PLATES  Either  Chloride  or  Bromide  supplied  ;  the  former  for  contact 
printing  only.    Make  charming  Lantern  Slides.    3^  x  3J,  1/-  per  doz. 

MATT  OPALS.    Make  beautiful  Positives. 

NOTE  THE  PRICES ;— j-plate,  2/6  per  doz.  ;  opiate,  5/6  per  doz.  ;  Vplate,  10/-  per  doz., 

5/6  per  half-doz.  ;  12  x  10,  24/-  per  doz.,  12/6  per  half-doz. 
READY  SENSITIZED  PAPER,  in  Pink,  Mauve,  and  White.    Only  the  best   ***  SS.  CROSS 

Swords  Sheets,  14/-  per  quire  ;  7/3  per  |-quire  ;  4/-  per  S  quire.     Cut  any  Size,  14/6 

per  quire  ;  7/0  per  ^-quire  ;  4/3  per  ^-quire. 

All  Cash  with  Order,  Post  Free,      Sai7iple  Sheet  1/-. 
PRICE  LISTS  FREE.    DEALERS  SHOULD  WRITE  for  TERMS. 

Works:  CATIHCARTTnear  GLASGOW. 


HUME'S 
CANTILEVER  ENLARGING  APPARATUS. 

Correct  Optical  Principles,  accurate  Mechanical 
Centring,  uniformly  lighted  Field  of  Illumina- 
tion, no  Shadows  or  Flares,  makes  Enlargements 
upon  Bromide  and  Chloride  Papers.  Plates, 
Opals,  Celluloid,  Canvas  for  Enlarged  Negatives, 
Positives,  Transparencies,  Lantern  Slides,  Toned 
Wall  Pictures,  etc. 


Condensers                                      5i  in.  8iin.             gin.  ioin.diam. 

Without  Objective  £±  15   0  £8  10   0    £10  10   0  £12  12  0 

With  Enlarging  Objective   ,      6  10    0  11  15    0     16  10    0  19    7  0 

Folding  Rails,  Double  Length  of  Base  Board        0  10   0  0  14   0       100  100 

Illustrated  Pamphlet,  16  pp.,  gives  full  description. 


DESIGNED  AND  MANUFACTURED  BY 


WILLIAM  HUME,  Scientific  Instrument  Maker, 

7,  LOTHIAN  STREET,  EDINBURGH. 


204 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


CELEROTYPE. 

Tf\e  IVlost  Fascinating  of  all  Paper  Printing  IV[ett\ods. 

^    -A  A.    AA.  AA  JUL  ;  A  4i  A.    jLA.    AA.  ^ 

^•ClCrOt^PC    is  the  simplest  of  printing  processes. 

^ClCCOt^PC    gives  the  most  beautiful  and  universally  admired  pictures. 
^ClCt*Ot^PC    produces  the  best  results  from  weak  and  indifferent  negatives. 
^ClCrOt^PC    is  more  permanent  than  any  other  silver  printing  process. 
(TdCCOt^PC    prints  quicker  than  any  other  paper. 

^-ClCrOt^PC  gives  the  most  superbly  finished  pictures,  either  with  an 
enamel-like  surface,  or  made  to  represent  a  dull 
engraving. 

CClCrOt^PC    is  the  paper  of  the  future. 

^ClCrOt^PC  comes  as  a  boon  and  a  blessing,  to  both  amateur  and 
professional  photographers. 


Economy,  Purity,  Simplicity,  Rapidity,  Brilliancy,  Per^a^ency. 


SOLD  IN  SHEETS  AND  CUT  SIZES.  INSTRUCTIONS  GIVEN  WITH   EACH  PACKET* 


CELEROTYPE 

May  be  obtained  from  all  Dealers  at  Home  and  Abroad,  or  direct 
■from  the  Manufacturers— THE 

BLACKFRIARS  PHOTOGRAPHIC  &  SENSITISING  CO., 

1,  Surrey  Row,  Blackfriars  Road,  LONDON,  S.E. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


205 


THE 

BLACKFRIARS  PHOTOGRAPHIC 

AND  SENSITISING  COMPANY 

ARE      NOW  MAKING 

THE 

Best  Sensitised  Papers 

PROCU  RABLE. 

ALSO  ALL  KINDS  OF 

PHOTOGRAPHIC  (aOODS, 
CAMERAS,  LENSES,  MOUNTS,  ETC., 

Of  the  Finest  Qualities,  and  at  Moderate  Prices. 

NEW 

ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE 

Now  Ready.    Free  on  Application. 


1,  SURREY  ROW,  BLACKFRIARS  ROAD,  LONDON,  SI. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


207 


Mitre  Machines, 

TO 

Cut  up  to  2  in.  Moulding, 

12/6; 

To  Cut  up  to  4  in.,  23/-. 


MELHUI8H  &  SONS, 

FETTER  LANE, 
(HOLBO^N  (Bl^SUS, 
LONDON. 


0UR  GARVING  "foOLS 


MITRE  CRAMPS, 

2/3  per  pair. 


12  Z^S SORTED.  Q/= 

56,(FollSet)21/€ 


RABBETING  CUTTERS, 

1/3  each. 


Y  FOR 


Use. 


MELHUISH'S 

PATENT 

Work  Bench  Tool  Cabinet. 

Fitted  with  our  famous 
WARRANTED  TOOLS. 


SEND  FOR  OUR 

ILLUSTRATD  LIST, 
Post  Free. 


208 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


HIGHEST  AWARDS  WHEREVER  EXHIBITED. 

PORTRAIT&Yltw  LENSES. 

Used  by  leading  Amateurs  and  Professionals  throughout  the  World. 

ROSS'  IMPROVED  DRY-PLATE  CAMERAS. 

Extra  Light  and  Portable.     Double  Extension. 

ROSS'   COMPLETE^  OUTFITS, 

Every  Requisite  for  the  practice  of  Photography. 

Send  for  NEW  ILLUSTRATED  CATALOGUE  of  NEW  FORMULA  LENSES, 
with  ESTIMATES,  etc., 

¥u   ROSS   &   CO.,  intutFarittrmg  ©pttmws, 
112,  NEW  BOND  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 

NEW   OPTICAL   WORKS,   CLAPHAM  COMMON. 


UlNTON&c? 

■   ■  P  p  38  IBbdford  Street 

|  STRAND.  W.C. 


Pharmaceutical  &  Photographic  Chemists 

FOR  ALL  PHOTOGRAPHIC  MATERIALS  AND  APPARATUS 
Required  for  Indoor  Photography. 

CHLORIDE  &  BROMIDE  PLATES  AND  PAPERS, 

ALL  THE  BEST  MAKES. 

HINTON'S  FOLDING  PLATE  RACKS,  all  sizes. 

HINTON'S  LANTERN  MASKS,  BINDERS,  PLATE  BOXES,  etc. 

HINTON'S  GLASS  PLATES,  OPALS,  etc. 

HINTON'S  CONCENTRATED  DEVELOPERS  have  no  rival,  and  for  Lantern 

Slides  or  Bromide  Prints  produce  the  finest  work  and  the  most  artistic  tones. 
HINTON'S  LANTERNS,  30/-,  42/-,  45/-,  56/-,  70/-. 
HINTON'S  ENLARGING  LANTERNS.    Send  for  Price  List. 


Note  the  Address-38,  BEDFORD  STREET,  STRAND,  W.C. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


209 


The  STANDARD  PHOTO.  CO. 

MUCKLOW'S 
Albumenized,  Sensitized, 

Matt  Surface,  and 
other  Photographic  Papers. 


Prepared  with  the  greatest  care,  to  ensure  Rapid  Printing, 
Good  Toning,  and  FREEDOM  FROM  BLISTERS. 
They  are  well  adapted  for  Shipping,  as  they  can  be  kept  for 
TWO  YEARS. 

Extra  Brilliant  Sensitized  Paper,  14/6  per 
Quire  ;  7/6  |-Quire. 
Matt  and  Single,  13/6  per  Quire; 
7/"  I -Quire  ;  3/9  ^-Quire. 


BRILLIANT  PAPER  READY  CUT  for  Mounting. 


THE  NEW  PLATINUM  TONING  PAPER 


IS  NOW  READY,  AND  ALSO 


free  from  every  disagreeable 
smell  and  blisters.  This 
paper  prints  quicker  and  deeper 


than  the  ordinary  Albumen  Papers,  and  tones  very  readily. 

DRY   PLATES,   LENSES,   CAMERAS,   and  other 
PHOTOGRAPHIC  APPARATUS. 

NEW  GELATINE  PAPERS,  p?-inting  out  or  by  gaslight,  and  developed 
with  or  without  toning,  most  suitable  for  evening  work,  and  producing  Sepia 
Tints  or  Platinum  Tones,  with  matt  or  enamel  surfaces, 

MOST  LIBERAL  TERMS  TO  DEALERS  AND  SHIPPERS. 


1,  DUF  FERIN  STREET,  BUNHILL  ROW,  E.C. 


210 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


Awarded  First  Prize  Medals  Adelaide  Jubilee  Exhibition,  1887,  and 
Sydney  Centenary  Exhibition,  1888. 


H.  MORELL, 

17&18,  Great  St,  Andrew  Street, 

BLOOMSBURY,  W.C.,  LONDON, 

Manufacturer  of  every  description  of 


ALSO  OF  THE 


Best  Patent  Washable  Gilt,  Rosewood,  Walnut,  and  Black  Mouldings.  Plain  and 
Ornamental  Frames,  and  also  for  Room  Decorating. 

TWO    MILLION    FEET    ALWAYS    IN  STOCK. 


WHITE  ALHAMBRA  and  EVERY  OTHER  DESCRIPTION  OF  MOULDINGS. 


Window  Cornices. 
Carved  Mouldings. 
Gilt  Alhambra  and  other  Mouldings. 
Gold  Alhambra  and  other  Frames. 
Washable  Gilt  and  Imitation  Frames. 
Carved  Frames. 
Oxford  Frames. 
English  and  Foreign  Glass. 
Oval  Frames,  White  and  Gold,  plain  and 
ornamental.  [variety. 
Advertising  and  Portrait  Frames  in  great 


Picture  Cord. 

Gold  and  Silver  Picture  Ware. 
Picture  Chain. 
„  Hooks. 

Brackets. 

Rods,  etc. 
Gold  and  Brass  Corners. 
Blackboards  and  Strainer  Stuff. 
Oak  Staves. 
Mounting  Boards. 
English  and  Foreign  Mounts. 


And  every  Requisite  for  the  Trade  and  for  Exportation. 

WHOLESALE  PICTURE-FRAME  MAKER, 

CARVER   AND  GILDER, 

MOUNT-CUTTER   AND    PASSEPARTOUT  MAKER, 
ENGRAVINGS,   OLEOGRAPHS,  LITHOGRAPHS,  etc., 

IMPORTER   OF  GLASS. 

STOCK  LISTS  MONTHLY,  FREE  ON  APPLICATION. 
Every  Information  contained  in   Illustrated  Book  of  Patterns  and  Catalogues, 
85  pp.,  4to  demy,  revised  for  189 1.    Post  free  for  Three  Penny  Stamps. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


211 


THE  CAHERA 


LANTERN  SLIDE  WORK, 

ENLARGEMENTS,  &c. 


SHEWS  ECLIPSE  HAND  CAMERA 


(PATENT). 


Many  Medals  have  been 
awarded  for  Lantern  Slides 

and  Enlargements  from 
-  Negatives  taken  with  the 
above  in  competition  with 
the  work  of  every  other 
make  of  Apparatus. 


At  Lantern  Demonstrations 
more  work  is  shown 
done  with 

SHEWS  "ECLIPSE"  LENS 

than  with  any  other  Lens 
known. 


Now  made  in  all  sizes  up  to  %\  X  6\,  with  universal  Jilting  for  Double  Backs 
for  Glass,  Film  Backs,  or  Roll  Holders  for  Film. 


REDUCING  CAMERAS,  ENLARGING  LANTERNS 
EXHIBITION  LANTERNS,  ENLARGING  CAMERAS 

AND  EVERY  REQUISITE  FOR 

ENLARGING  or  for  LANTERN  SLIDE  MAKING 

in  Stock. 


J.  F.  SHEW  &  CO., 

Manufacturers  and  Patentees  of  SPECIALITIES  in  POETABLE 

APPARATUS, 

Dealers  in  every  article  required  in  the  practice  of  Photography, 
87  <fc  88,  NE^VM^JST  STREET, 

(4  doors  off  Oxford  Street),  LONDON,  W. 


212 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


TO  LECTURERS  AND   OTHERS   USING   THE  OXY-HYDRIC  LIGHT. 


BRIN'S  OXYGEN  CO,  Ltd., 

■**  PURE  OXYGEN,  *♦ 

And  also  COAL  GAS  and  NITROGEN  compressed  in  portable  vessels,  at  the 
following  low  Prices  : 

PRICE  LIST. 

STEEL  CYLINDERS.  —  Tested  to  3,000  lbs.  per  square  inch,  and  FITTED 
WITH  BRIN'S  OXYGEN  COMPANY'S  PATENT  VALVE. 


CYLINDERS. 

Oxygen  or  Coal  Gas. 

Cubic 
Contents 
in  feet. 

Approxi- 
mate 
Diameter 
in  Inches. 

Approxi- 
mate Length 
over  all 
in  Inches. 

Approxi- 
mate 
Weight 
in  lbs. 

Prices  of 
Cylinders 
complete 
with  Valve. 

Rent 
per  week 
after  first 
14  days. 

Prices  per 
cubic  foot  in 
the  Company's 
Cylinders. 

Prices  in 
Customers' 

own 
Cylinders. 

10 
12 
15 
20 

4 

4 

4 

4 

19| 
23 

25i 
32i 

15J 
17 
19| 
24! 

33/- 
34/6 
37/- 
39/- 

|  1/3 

Quantities  of 
20  feet 
or  less, 

4d. 

Quantities  of 
20  feet 
or  less, 

3d. 

40 
60 

80 

5J 

H 

331 
47 1 

61i 

37 
47 

66 

48/- 
53/3 

56/9 

}  1/6 

21- 

Over  20  feet 
and  up  to 
60  feet. 

3d. 

Over  20  feet 
and  up  to 
60  feet, 

2!d. 

100 
125 

5i 

54 

76i 
93i 

81 

95 

62/3 
67/6 

}  2/6 

Over  60  feet 
and  upwards, 

2id. 

Over  60  feet 
and  upwards, 

2d. 

FITTINGS  —Nipple  and  Union,  2s.  ;  Key,  2s.  6d.  REGULATORS  (with  or 
without  differential  Screw),  33s.  GAUGES,  30s.  CONNECTORS  for  old  and  new 
style  valve  fittings,  3s. 

TERMS  1  NET,  CASH  WITH  ORDER. 


DEPOSITS.— Customers  not  wishing  to  purchase  Cylinders  must  send  with  their 
order  an  amount  equal  to  the  price  of  Cylinder  and  Fittings,  as  a  Deposit ;  and  on  all 
Cylinders  not  returned  within  14  days  rent  will  be  charged  as  specified  above. 

BRIN'S  OXYGEN  COMPANY,  Ltd., 

34,  Victoria  Street,  Westminster,  S.W. 

Works :  69,  Horseferry  Road,  Westminster,  S.W. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library— Advertisements.  viii 


Ihorhton-Pickard 


44 


44 


Amber  " 

AND 

Ruby  " 
Cameras 

are  more 

HANDY  HAND  CAMERAS 

than  many  of  the  various  patterns  of 
Box  Cameras  now  on  the  market. 


Illustrated  Catalogue  Post  Pree. 


Whilst  they  are  at  the  same  time 

PERFECT   STAND  CAMERAS. 


The  "  Ruby"  is 
Three  Cameras 
in  One. 

Perfect  as  a  Tripod 

Camera. 
Perfect  as  a  Hand 

Camera. 

6  6  RUBY  99  as  a  Stereoscopic  Camera  ; .  Perfect  as  a  stereo- 
the  cheapest  high-class  Camera  made.  '      3c0pic  Camera 


It  is  a  Stand  Camera,  but  may  also  be  used  as  a  Hand  Camera. 
The  Shutter  is  attached  to  and  forms  part  of  the  Camera. 
The  Shutter  folds  up  into  the  baseboard. 
The  front  has  an  unlimited  amount  of  Rise  and  Fall. 
The  Camera  is  fitted  with  Vertical  and  Horizontal  Swings. 
The  Back  may  be  pushed  right  up  to  the  front  for  use  with 

Wide  Angle  Lenses. 
The  Half-Plate  Camera  Racks  from  2|  in.  shortest  focus,  to 

15!  in.  longest  focus. 
The  Camera  has  a  double  pinion,  so  that  it  may  be  racked  from 

the  longest  to  the  shortest  focus. 
May  be  arranged  for  Stereoscopic  Work. 

The  Workmanship  is  perfection,  and  unsurpassed  in  any  other 
Camera. 

'RUBY"  Outfit,  including  Camera,  with'turntable,  plate- 
holder,  tstand,  time  and  instantaneous  shutter,    with  speed 

indicator.  Half-Plate,  £7 17s. 

"AMBER"  Outfit  No.  1.  including  Camera, 
plate-holder,  stand,   and   Rapid   Rectilinear  Lens. 

duarter-Plate,  £5  5s.  Half-Plate,  £6  6s.  6d. 

Whatever  Camera  you  buy,  insist  upon  its  being 
fitted  with  the  World-renowned  THORNTON- 
PICKARD  SHUTTER.  Don't  be  put  off  with 
imitations  which  are  unreliable  and  fail  at  the  critical 
moment. 

The  Thornton -Pickard  Manfg.  Co.,  Ltd.,  Altrincham. 


Follow  Text. 


INDEX   TO  ADVERTISERS. 


PAGE 

Adams  &  Co  Inside  Front  Cover. 

Autocopyist  Co                                      .       ...       .       .       .  xviii 

Benetfink  &  Co  facing  Inside  Front  Cover. 

Blees,  John         ......   xvii 

Burroughs  Wellcome  &  Co   iv 

Dallmeyer,  Ltd.,  J.  H   xv 

Griffin  &  Sons,  Ltd.,  John  J.        .     facing  Index  to  Advertisers. 

Hazell,  Watson,  &  Viney,  Ld  i      .  xix 

Horton,  B.  W  *       .       .       .  xviii 

London  Stereoscopic  Co  facing  Title  Page. 

Newman  cS:  Guardia,  Ld.    vi 

Patterson,  W   xvii 

Piggott,  John                                                                     .  xvi 

Powell,  T.  H                                                                         .  xii 

Ross,  Ltd   x 

Sh  ew  &  Co.,  J.  F.       .........  xiv 

Stuart,  F.  G.  O.:      .      .      .   xviii 

Taylor,  Taylor  &  Hobson   xiii 

Tella  Camera  Co.,  Ltd   iii 

Thornton-Pickard  Manufacturing  Co.,  Ltd   viii 

Watson  &  Sons  *      .      *      .  v 

Wratten  &  Wainwright   xvii 

Wray,  W.  •  .   xi 

Wallis,  Edmond                                                   ....  xviii 

"X"  Chair  Patents  Co.,  Ltd.  .  .  facing  Inside  Back  Cover. 
Zimmermann,  A.  &  M  Inside  Back  Cover. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library— Advertisements.  ix 


A  REVOLUTION 

IN  PHOTOGRAPHY 

has  been  caused  by 
the  introduction  of.,.. 

-~  VELOX  - 

A  process  simple  in  the  extreme.  You  can  make 
your  prints  using  day-light,  gas-light,  candle-light, 
any  kind  of  light.  You  can,  for  instance,  do  your 
printing  and  developing  in  a  comfortably  lighted  room 
with  your  family  and  friends.  No  waiting  for  the 
sun  to  shine  trying  to  make  half-a-dozen  prints,  or 
heing  frozen  to  death  on  a  cold  day.  The  results  are 
"beautifully  soft  and  artistic,  appealing  to  the  taste  of 
the  cultivated.  Further,  the  prints  are  permanent, 
and  the  paper  does  not  spoil  with  age. 

The  Varieties  made  are  : — 

Carbon  IDeloj— Matt  ^ 

^  *        ^        ,  ,  For  contrasty  effects  and 

mOSSV  DelOJ-Enameled  soft  ^ 

IROUflb  IDelOJ— Rough  Surface  J 

Special "  portrait  IDelOJ— Half  Matt      \  For  soft  effects 

4i  SpCCial "  (BlOSSP  IDelOJ— Enameled        rand  contrasty 

44  Special "  IROUgb  IDelOJ— Rough  Surface  i  negatives. 

v  ff  ff    (double  weight)  needs  no  mounting. 

Sold  by  all  Dealers,  or  from 

JOHN  J.  GRIFFIN  &  SONS,  Ltd., 

20-26,  Sardinia  St.,  Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, 
LONDON,   W.C-  -  -  ENGLAND. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library— Advertisements. 


Medals  and  Highest  Awards  at  all  Great  Exhibitions. 


An  absolutely  Unrivalled  Selection  of  High-Class 


ROSS-ZEISS  and 
ROSS=GOERZ 


PbotograpWc  Censes. 


EXTRA  RAPID,  RAPID,  MEDIUM,  &  WIDE-ANGLE 

TO  SUIT  EVERY  POSSIBLE  REQUIREMENT  OF 

Professional  and  Amateur  Photographers 
and  Process  Workers, 

ALSO  FOR  TAKING  AND  PROJECTING 

CINEMATOGRAPH  PICTURES 


PRICE  LISTS  AND  ESTIMATES  FREE. 


&X         ROSS,   Ltd.,  Ill,  New  Bond  St.,  LONDON,  W 


Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements.  xi 


Wray's  Lenses, 


THE  PLATYSTIGMAT. 

One  of  the  finest  of  Modern  Anasigmatic  Lenses* 


A  Rapid 

A  Wide  Angle 

and 

A  Single  Lens 
combined. 


Actual  Size  of  7-in.  Platystigmat. 


IRapib  anb  Wifce  BuqIc  IRecttitnear  Xeneee- 

SPECIAL  R.  R.  LENSES  FOR  HAND  CAMERAS, 

from  3J  to  7-in.  focus. 

LANTERN  PROJECTION  LENSES, 

CINEMATOGRAPH  LENSES. 

Illustrated  Price  List  FREE, 


Illustrated  Catalogue  of  Telescopes,  Microscopes,  Field  and  Marine  Glasses,  etc., 

for  Stamp. 


W.  WRAY,  ©ptidan, 
59,  NORTH  HILL,  HIGHGATE,  LONDON,  N. 


xii 


Amateur  Photographer  Library— Advertisements, 


UNRIVALLED  FOR 

PLATES,  FILMS, 
AND  PAPERS. 

"  Developoids," 
or  Developing  Tablets, 

Introduced  1889. 

—  •  — 

Compressed  Pyro  and 
Soda. 

—  •  — 

Metol  and  Hydrokinone. 

—  •  — 

Eikonogen  &  Hydrokinone* 

—  •  — 

Invaluable  for  Travellers. 
No  Scales  or  Weights. 
Compact  and  Soluble. 

—  •  — ■ 

POWELL'S 

Compressed  Gold  Bat hs^ 
keep  indefinitely. 


T.  H.  POWELL, 

photo  Cbemtst, 

116,  Denmark  Hill,  LONDON,  S.E. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements.  xm 


with  full  aperture,  give  critically  fine  definition  right 
up  to  the  margins  of  their  plates,  and  will  cover  larger 
plates,  as  wide  angle  lenses,  when  stopped  down, 

They  are  free  from  distortion,  from  spherical  and 
chromatic  aberrations,  from  astigmatism  and  curved 
field,  from  flare,  ghost,  and  other  common  defects  of 
lenses. 

They  are  nicely  proportioned,  more  accurately  made, 
and  better  finished  than  any  other  lenses. 

They  are  more  compact,  and  weigh  much  less  than 
other  anastigmats,  and  cost  less. 

Ask  for  the  Cooke  Booklet. 

JaYLOrJaYLOI^  \io$5  0^. 

JbTOUGHTON  Street  Works.  LEICESTER. 

and  18  Berners  Street,  LONDON.  W. 


xiv  Amateur  Photographer  Library— Advertisements. 


Cl         •        HAND  OR  STAND 

eameras. 

The  XIT  has  rising  front,  focusing,  tripod  fittings,  for  hori- 
zontal or  vertical  pictures,  and  is  the  Only  Camera  for 
pictures  41X3^  easily  carried  in  the  breast  pocket. 

THE    ALUMINIUM  SERIES. 

Fitted  with  Shew,  Dallmever.  Cooke,  Goerz,  Ross, 
ZEISS  Lenses,  from  £8  8s. 

New  Popular  Series. 

THE  GUINEA  XIT, 

For  PL  A  TES  or  for  CUT  FILMS,  4£  x  3£. 

CAMERA— Rising  Front,  Tripod  Fittings. 
LENS  —  5J-in.  Achromatic  Focusing. 
S  SUTTER  —Shew' s  Central  Eclipse. 
BACKS— Shew' s  New  Pattern,  Patent, 

Rapid  Changing. 
FINDER— New  Brilliant,  Focusing 

Screen  and  Tripod  Screw. 
Weighing  Complete  only  16  oz.    £t  1s, 
Rapid  Rectilinear  Lens,  Iris  Diaphragms,//8  Focusing  Scale,  Thornton-Pickard  Time  and  In- 
stantaneous Blind  Shutter,  three  double  backs,  brilliant  finder,  etc.,  in  case,  £3  3S. 
The  New  Bausch  &  Lomb  Shutter,  Improved  Speed  Indicator,  1  to  100th  second,  hand  and  ball 
release  for  time  exposures.    Special  R.  R.  Lens,  Iris  Focusing  Tube,  and  accessories  as 
above,  £4  4S' 

SHEWS  REFLECTOR,  1899. 

REVERSING  BACK,  RACK  AND  PINION  FOCUSING,  ADJUSTABLE  SPEEDS,  FREEDOM  FROM  COMPLICATIONS. 

The  main  features  of  the  Reflector  are  : — 
The  full-size  View  Finder  with  special  Folding 

Hood. 

Shew's  Extra  Rapid  Rectilinear  Lens,  //  8,  Iris 

Diaphragm. 

Shutter— a  flexible  blind  passing  across  the  Lens 

with  adjustable  speeds. 
Rack  and  Pinion  Focusing,  for  Hand  or  Stand. 
Reversing  Frame  for  carrying  Slide  or  Magazine 

for  horizontal  or  for  vertical  pictures. 
The  Camera,  No.  1,  as  above,  covered  in  hard 

grained  leather,  with  carrying  handle  and 

shoulder  strap,  three  of  our  "  Xit  "  pattern 

for  glass  or  for  cut  film,  focusing  screen  and 

tripod  fittings    £4   4  0 

Do.,      do.,  No.  ia,  with  Euryscope 

Lens,  776   4  17  6  , 

The  Reflector,  now  made  in  5x4  and  4%  X  35,  of  j 

superior  manufacture,  with  spring  door,  im- 
proved release,  mahogany  polished  fronts, 

etc.,  etc. 

No.  5X4  A\  X  3i 

3,  with  Dallmeyer  Stig- 

maticLens,y/6       .  £12  0  0  £9  10  0 

4,  with  Zeiss  Lens,  Series 

11..7763      ..     ..  1115 

th  Cooke  Lens,  f/6- 


5a 


9  17 


9  10  0 
7  17  6 

Daylight  Cartridge  Film  Holder,  fitted  interchangeable  with  the  double  backs,  5X4.    £1  7   6  ; 
4iX3i    £17  6 
Camera  List,  new  edition,  now  ready,  free,  of  J.  F.  SHEW  &  CO. 

Est-  Ig4Q-  Inventors,  Manufacturers  &  Patentees  of  Specialities  in  Photographic  Apparatus, 
and  Dealers  in  every  description  of  Photographic  Materials  &  Apparatus, 


NEWMAN  ST., 


four  doors  from 
OXFORD  St., 


LONDON,  W.  ..^Ife^^don. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements.  xv 


xvi  Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements. 


JOHN  JPXGGOTT, 


JAPANNED  TIN  MAGIC  LANTERN. 


THE  TOURIST. 


With  3-wick  Refulgent  Lamp,  4-in.  Con- 
denser, and  Achromatic  Front  Objective 
with  Rack  and  Pinion  Adjustment  (which 
is  also  useful  for  taking  ^-plate  portraits), 
18/-.  Better  quality,  with  4-in.  Con- 
denser, and  best  quality  Achromatic 
Front  Objective,  and  3-wick  Lamp,  28/6. 
4-wick  lamps  instead  of  3-wick,  2/-  extra. 
Ditto,  Russian  Iron,  21/6. 


Half-Plate  Camera. 

Including  Three  Mahogany  Double  Dark 
Slides,  the  Opiate  slides  being  fitted  with 
Carriers  for  ^-plates,  Clips  at  sides,  and 
Hinged  Shutters. 

Rapid  Rectilinear  Lens,  with  Iris 
Diaphragms,  3-fold  Sliding 
Leg  Stand  47 /S 

Camera  only  and  1  Slide      . .       . .  25/- 
„     ,,  3  Slides     ..       ..  31- 


THE   CHEAPSIDE    HAND  CAMERA. 

1899  Model.  Greatly  Improved. 


This  well-known  camera  I  have 
this  season  improved  by  fitting  same 
with  2  Sunk  Levels,  improved  form 
of  Iris  to  Lens ;  adjustment  to  Shutter, 
and  also  2  Bushes,  to  enable  same  to 
be  used  on  Tripod  in  horizontal  or 
vertical  positions.  The  body  is. 
covered  in  morocco  leather,  holding 
12  plates,  3$  x  4I,  automatically 
changed  by  simply  turning  lever  a 
side,  exposed  plates  being  recorded 
by  indicator  at  back  of  camera. 
Shutter  can  be  adjusted  from  i*ioth 
to  i*6oth  of  a  second. 


Fitted  with  Rapid  Achromatic  View  Lens  and»Iris   

,,       ,,      ,,         1898  Model,  no  Levels 
"  „        „       »     ».    3i  x  3b  6  Plates.. 

,,      ,,     Rapid  Rectilinear  and  Iris  Pneumatic  Release  to  Shutter 


..  26/- 
. .  25/- 
..  18/6 
..  55/6 


117  &  118,  Cheapside  and  Milk  Street,  B.C. 

Please  send  for  Illustrated  Lists  Free. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements.  xvii 


W.  Patterson, 

PHOTOGRAPHIC     EXPERT    AND  DEALER, 

Ireton  House,  Highgate,  London,  N.. 

EASY    TERMS  for  every  sort  and  kind  of  Photographic 
Apparatus,  Lanterns,  etc. 

EXCHANGE     Old  Apparatus  exchanged,  taken  in  part  pay- 
ment, or  in  lieu  of  Instalments. 

ADVICE     Beginners'  difficulties  solved  and  help  given.  Questions 
fully  answered,  1 each. 

" PERFECT"    CAMERA  SETS,   comprising  all  that  is 
modern  in  design  and  workmanship.     Price:  J-pl.,  55/-;  ^-pl.> 
75/-;  i-pL,  168/-,  etc. 
Send  for  a  Price  List. 

Telephone  :  294,  KING'S  CROSS. 
W.  PATTERSON,  IRETON  HOUSE,  HIGHGATE. 

The  only  EUROPEAN  HOUSE  IN  INDIA  Dealing  wholly  in 
Photographic  Goods  Imported  from  Reliable  English  Firms. 
ORDERS  RECEIVED  AND  EXECUTED  IMMEDIATELY. 

AGENTS  FOR  ROSS,  Ltd.,  LONDON. 
KODAKS    AND    FILMS  STOCKED. 
The  Only  House  for  Tourists. 

JOHN  BIilSES, 

IS,  GHOWRINGHEE  ROAD,  (Near  the  \ 

CALCUTTA,  INDIA.   \   Grand  Hotel./ 

Use  WRATTEN'S  c«J*S££*» 

'London'  Plates. 
WRATTEN  &  WAINRIGHT,  £3SE. 

Lists  Free. 


-xviii        Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements. 


All  Wide-awake  Photographers  and  Process  Workers  should  use  the 

Photo  Autocopyist. 

ffi/^F"    A  simplified  form  of  Collotype,  without  the  use  of  Glass  Plates,  expensive 
Press,  and  other  elaborate  Plant. 
Photographers  are  able  to  reproduce  an  unlimited  number  of  Permanent  Prints 
from  Negatives,  equal  to  Silver,  Platinotype,  or  Bromide  Prints. 

(Great  saving  of  time  and  expense  over  the  ordinary  way  of  printing.) 

Write  for  Price  Lists  and  Specimens,  or  call  and  see  it  in  operation. 

THE   AUTOCOPYIST  COMPANY, 

64,     QUEEN     VICTORIA    STREET,     LONDON,  E,C. 

Plates  ana  Printitifl=Out  Papers. 

BEST   QUALITY  ONLY. 
//«  Sample  sent  direct  from  the  Factory. 

F.  G.  O.  STUART, 

NATIONAL    DRY    PLATE   AND    PAPER  WORKS, 
57,  59,  and  61,   Cromwell  Road, 

SOUTHAMPTON. 

ARTISTIC  imOKQMOUNDSs 

€diH0t1(l  m^lliS    who  Paints  ^or  some  °f  tne  oest  Studios, 
1   can  give  prompt  and  personal  attention  to 
any  order,  large  or  small. 

PBI©ES»  f°r  or<3inary  grounds,  also  a  series  after  the  old  masters — 
8x6,  !§/=         8x7,  lf/i         8x8,  20/- 
and  with  foreground  making  8  x  16,  8§/-      On  Good  Canvas. 
Designs  (returnable)  two  Stamps.    Accessories  suitable  for  use  with  the  backgrounds. 

Address:   ORPINGTON,  KENT. 

The  4  SCROLL ' 

PATENT  ROLLER   BLIND  SHUTTER. 

Time  and  Instantaneous. 

A  reliable  shutter  for  every  purpose  ;  neatest  and  most  compact  ;  an  ornament  to  a 
camera.    Made  in  polished  mahogany,  with  pneumatic  release. 

Prices  for  Hoods  up  to  if  in.,  10/C  ;  2  in.,  12/-  ;  i\  in.,  15/- 
Stereoscopic,  if  in.,  17/6.    Speed  Indicators,  2/- 

Behind  Lens  Shutters  same  price.   All  sizes  made. 
From  all  Dealers,  or  send  to  the  Sole  Makers  : 

B.  W.  HORTON,  Cold  Harbour,  Hythe,  KENT. 


Amateur  Photographer  Library— Advertisements.  xix- 


GOOD  BOOKS. 


Dictionary  Of  Photography.  For  the  Amateur  and  Professional 
Photographer.  By  E.  J.  WALL,  F.R.P.S.  Revised,  corrected,  and  brought  up- 
to  date  by  Thomas  Bolas,  F.C.S.,  F.I.C.  Seventh  Edition,  Enlarged  to  632  pages. 
Crown  8 vo.    Cloth,  7s  6d.,  postage  4^/. 

Picture-Making  by  Photography.   By  H.  P.  ROBINSON. 

Crown  8vo,  cloth.    160  pages.    2s.  6c/.,  postage  3d. 

The  Book  of  the  Lantern.    By  T.  C.  HEPWORTH,  F.C.S. 

3s.  6c/.,  postage  3c/. 

The  Lantern-Slide  Manual.   By  JOHN  A.  HODGES.  Crown, 

8vo,  cloth.    2S.,  postage  3d. 

Gothic  Architecture  (Handbook  to).     By  T.  PERKINS,  M.A. 

Crown  8vo,  cloth,  220  pages.    3s.  6d.,  postage  3d. 

Platinum  Toning.  By  LYONEL  CLARK.  Crown  8vo,  cloth- 
is.,  postage  2d. 

Experimental  Photography.     By  C.  J.  LEAPER,  F.C.S. 

Second  Edition.    8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  id. 

Short  Chapters  on  Art  Photography.  By  H.  P.  ROBIN- 
SON.   Second  Edition.    Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Development.  By  LYONEL  CLARK.  Fourth  Edition.  Crown  8vo,„ 
cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

The  Art  Of  Retouching.  By  J.  HUBERT.  Seventh  Edition. 
Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Elementary  Photography.    By  JOHN  A.  HODGES.  Third 

Edition.    Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 
Carbon  Printing.    By  E.  J.  WALL.    Third  Edition.    Crown  8vo, 
cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Wet  Collodion,  and  How  to  Work  It.    By  C.  W.  GAMBLE. 

Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

The  Lantern,  and  How  to  Use  It.   By  GOODWIN  NORTON. 

Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Platinotype  Printing.   By  A.  HORSLEY  HINTON.    Crown  8vo, 

cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Photographer's  Note  Book  and  Constant  Companion. 

By  Rev.  F.  C.  LAMBERT,  M.A.    Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Photo-Aquatint;  or,  The  Gum-Bichromate  Process. 

By  ALFRED  MASKELL  and  ROBERT  DEMACHY.  Crown  8vo,  cloth,  is.,, 
postage  2d. 

Animated    Photography.     By   CECIL   M.  HEPWORTH. 

Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is  ,  postage  2d. 

Architectural  Photography.     By  G.  A.  T.  MIDDLETON^ 

F.R.I.B.A.    Crown  8vo,  c  oth.    is.,  postage  2d. 

Mounts  and  Frames,  and  How  to  Make  Them.  By 

Rev.  F.  C.  LAMBERT,  M.A.    Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Practical    Pictorial    Photography  (Part   I.).     By  A. 

HORSLEY  HINTON.    Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 

Practical    Pictorial   Photography   (Part    II.).     By  A, 

HORSLEY  HINTON.    Crown  8vo,  cloth,    is.,  postage  2d. 


London  :  HAZELL,  WATSON  &  VINEY,  Ld.,  1,  Creed  Lane,  E.C 


xx  Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements. 


The  "X"  Folding  Dark  Room. 

Size  6  ft.  x  3  ft.  2  in.  x  3  ft.  2  in. 


THIS  is  the  most  portable  Dark  Room  on  the  Market,  folding  into  a  space  of 
6  ft.  4  in.  by  6  in.  The  framework  is  constructed  on  the  "X"  principle, 
selected  wood  being  used.  The  cloth — black  outside,  and  ruby  inside— is  the  best 
procurable  for  the  purpose.  It  has  a  shelf  which  can  be  easily  fitted  inside,  and 
the  whole  can  be  erected  or  taken  down  in  less  than  one  minute. 


PRICE   (complete  in  Valise)  24/= 

Extra  wide  Folding  Shelf,  2/6  extra. 


To  he  had  of  all  Dealers,  or  direct  from  the  Sole 
Manufacturers  and  Patentees  s 

THE  "X  "  CHAIR  PATENTS  COMPANY,  LTD., 

4,   BERRY  STREET, 
CLERKENWELL     ROAD,    LONDON,  E.C. 


*2i  filL 


Amateur  Photographer  Library — Advertisements.  xxi 


?AT£NT 


vi  ev 


NO  STAIN.  NO  BLEACHING. 

COMPLETE  INTENSIFICATION 

WITH  ONE  MANIPULATION. 


SCHERiNG'S  NEW  DEVELOPER. 

A  duroi 


SOME  ADVANTAGES: 
NO  STAIN,  even  with  prolonged  development* 
QUICKER  in  action  than  Hydrokinone* 
Gives  DETAIL  equal  to  any  developer* 
Does  not  give  a  hard  negative  when  restrained* 
GREAT  DENSITY  and  CLEAN  WORKING* 
NOT  INFLUENCED  by  temperature* 

GETTY  RESEARCH  INSTITUTE 


3  3125  01410  4521 


